Cairo: Egyptian Prime Minister Ahmad Nadeef on Tuesday asked parliament to approve the extension of the Emergency Law for two more years, amid protests from the Opposition.
"Terrorism has been behind political assassinations, religious sectarianism and strikes aimed at foreign tourists," Nadeef told the parliament as independent and Islamist MPs wore ribbons of the Egyptian flag inscribed with the phrase "No to Emergency Law".
The Emergency Law has been in force since 1981, giving massive powers to police to detain suspects without trial. Nadeef pledged on Tuesday that the law will be enforced only to combat terrorism and drug trafficking. He said that the law would be cancelled in May 2012 when an anti-terror law will be in place.
"We pledge before parliament that we will not adopt extrajudicial measures in applying this (emergency) law and will debate the anti-terror law with the (state-backed) National Council for Human Rights and the civil society groups."
The parliament, where President Hosni Mubarak's ruling party has the vast majority, is expected to approve the prolongation of the controversial law.
Opposition and human rights groups say the Emergency Law is abused to muzzle freedom of expression and crack down on political dissent.
Over recent years, the Egyptian government has put on trial terror suspects at military tribunals where defendants have no right to appeal rulings.
Earlier on Tuesday around 100 Islamists and independent MPs were joined by political activists as they protested outside the parliament in central Cairo against the prolongation of the Emergency Law.
"The Emergency Law is a weapon used by the (ruling) National Democratic Party during the next parliamentary and presidential elections," said Sa'ad Al Katatni, an Islamist MP.
"The regime wants to again extend the state of emergency to suppress political foes," told Gulf News.
Egypt will hold legislative elections next November and presidential vote next year.
