Military defends changes to SCAF amid speculation about Sisi presidency

Recent changes in the makeup of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces’ are simply in accordance with the newly drafted Constitution, according to military spokesperson, Ahmed Mohamed Ali.

“The new decrees issued in the last few days are to implement the amendments in the 2014 Constitution on which a referendum was held in January,” Ali wrote in a statement published on his official Facebook page Saturday.

The Official Gazette published a set of decrees pertaining to the military on Thursday, including Law 20/2014, concerning SCAF. Under the new legislation, the minister of defense will be the head of SCAF, rather than the president of the republic, in what appears to be a move weakening the powers of the president relative to the military. 

The decree additionally named the president’s chief of staff as deputy head of SCAF, while the Defense Ministry’s secretary general would also be SCAF’s secretary general. Joining SCAF would now be at the discretion of the minister of defense who calls the council to convene every three months or according to necessity. The president would still be able to appoint leaders to different units of the Armed Forces and may call the council to convene.

Under the new legislation, SCAF is formed of the defense minister, his deputies and his secretary general, the chief of staff, the heads of the Navy, Air Force and Air Defense, the commanders of the Second and Third Field Army, the central, northern, southern and western regions, the directors of military and intelligence, the heads of border patrol, military patrol and training, logistics and supplies, arms, engineering, financial affairs and military judiciary divisions, as well as the chief of operations within the Armed Forces.

In his statement Ali pointed to the history of SCAF, born in accordance with a law issued by the president in 1968 and amended several times since, the last time in 1989. Ali also said that SCAF’s work is of an exclusive military nature and concerns Egypt’s military, unlike the National Defense and the National Security councils which include civilians on their board and which address broader issues.

Ali also explained the point in the law whereby the president retains the right to call on SCAF to convene by saying that the president would mostly not attend the council’s meetings except on national occasions and when there is a need for his presence.

Ali called on the media to verify information before publishing.

The legislation regarding SCAF was met with two main reactions in local media. On one hand, critics said that the new arrangement further secludes the institution of the military and consolidates its position as a state within a state, by marginalizing the role of the president in SCAF. In this view, the changes are a response to the dynamics of post-revolution Egypt whereby an elected president may not necessarily be a military figure, in which case the institution seeks to shield itself from civilian control and oversight.

The other main reaction to the new law settled on the question of the candidacy of current Defense Minister and army commander Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, expected to run in the presidential elections. The new changes in SCAF fuel speculation that the minister may be backing off and consolidating his position in the military, in case a civilian president takes over.

Others disagreed that the law can be read as a sign that Sisi is backing out of the presidential race, and rather read it as precautionary measure should a competitive civilian candidate take part in the contest. Moreover, the move has been read as a general precautionary measure even if Sisi were to become the next president by shielding the military from the excessive powers of a president including one with a military background.

SCAF came to public attention during and in the aftermath of the 18 days of protests that ended with the ouster of former President Hosni Mubarak and his ruling party. Before the military takeover following Mubarak’s fall, little was known about the council’s work in the media as the Mubarak regime sidelined the military institution from everyday politics.

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