CIA Reading Room cia-rdp05-01559r000400430026-0: AL-QADHDHAFI SPEECH TO JOINT COMMISSION

Declassified and Approved For Release 2012/02/02 : CIA-RDP05-01559R00040043.00026-0 1 f,r '~LJ Ir~w~r~rr~ ( TaGCCSrc~, ? FBIS-NES-88-066 6 April 1988 12 ARAB AFRICA Extending the emergency law is a sign that the govern- Violence Continues in Asyut; 60 Arrested ment will further undermine freedoms. This will JN041135 Cairo AL-WAFD in Arabic obstruct the legitimate channels before political action. 1 Apr 88 p 1 This will make citizens feel more frustration and isola- tion from public action. It will also open the door to sedition, sectarianism, extremism, and the spread of violence and counterviolence. Undoubtedly, all of this will weaken the Egyptian people's ability to confront outside challenges and dangers posed to our country and .the Arab world in these crucial, historic moments. The opposition party leaders assert that the imposition of the emergency law during this time has turned this law which, naturally, is an extraordinary law, from an excep- tion to a rule. This constitutes a flagrant violation of the Constitution and law, and also casts doubt on the government's legitimacy. The opposition party leaders hold President Muhammad Husni Mubarak responsible for the grave consequencies resulting from the continued imposition of martial law. According to the Constitution, the president is responsi- ble for emphasizing the people's sovereignty and respect for the law and the Constitution. In addition, according to the Constitution, the president assumes the executive autho