Egypt: Parliament okays bill on firing Brotherhood civil servants

Cairo: The Egyptian parliament has approved a draft bill allowing the sacking of civil servants linked to the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood, local media reported Tuesday.

Egypt has recently seen a series of rail crashes that Transport Minister Kamel Al Wazir blamed on rail employees he branded as “sleeper cells” of the Brotherhood.

Last month, MP Ali Badr presented a draft law proposing the sacking of civil servants affiliated to the “Brotherhood and other terrorist groups to protect national interests”.

According to the law, employees face dismissal if they cause severe harm to the state public utilities or its economic interests.

“Serious evidence arising about harming the country’s national security and its safety” is a reason for job loss, the new law was quoted as stipulating. Placing a state employee on a list of terrorists is “considered a serious proof,” it added.

When one or more such reasons are verified, the employee involved is suspended from work for maximum six months or until a sacking decree is issued while half of his/ her salary is cut during this time. It was not immediately clear when the law goes into effect.

In late 2013, Egypt outlawed the Brotherhood after blaming the Islamist group for a spate of militant attacks that hit the country after its removal from power following enormous street protests against its divisive rule.