Egypt: 'emergency' extended

This week was supposed to be the deadline for the Egyptian government to introduce an anti-terrorism bill, thereby replacing 27 years of emergency rule. No such bill was drafted or distributed; parliament, at the behest of the government, last week extended emergency law for two years until mid-2010.

The law, in force since Hosni Mubarak came to power after the 1981 assassination of President Anwar Sadat by an Egyptian citizen, allows authorities to hold people without charge indefinitely and refer civilians to military courts. The opposition -- including the Muslim Brotherhood -- and rights groups claim the government uses the law to muzzle political dissidents.

There have been repeated pledges to replace the emergency with anti-terror legislation; Mubarak first promised to do this in the 2005 election campaign. The government claimed it had not had enough time to prepare legislation that would stand the test of time. The government's move probably reflects caution in the face of the current unrest sparked by cost of living increases. It also highlights the waning regional influence of the Bush administration, which had sought the reform.