After Parliament's approval... What powers can Sisi be delegated to support Saudi Arabia?

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The Egyptian Parliament’s authorization to President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi regarding any intervention that Saudi Arabia may request opens the door to questions about the powers that the decision grants to the president, and the constitutional and legal controls regulating any Egyptian military movement outside the borders.

Parliamentarians and experts in political science and international law explained the implications of authorization, stressing its importance in completing the necessary constitutional procedures. In statements to Al Arabiya.net/Al Hadath.net, they refuted the powers that may be granted to the Egyptian leadership in dealing with regional developments.

In this context, Major General Essam Al-Azab, Secretary of the Senate Defense and National Security Committee, said that Al-Sisi’s assertion that Egypt stands strongly alongside Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states reflects the constants of Egyptian policy based on supporting Arab national security and dealing with the challenges facing the brothers based on shared responsibility and unity of destiny. He added that Sisi's request to hold an emergency session of the House of Representatives to obtain a mandate regarding any intervention requested by the Kingdom carries important implications regarding the Egyptian state's seriousness in supporting its brothers, and its readiness to take the necessary measures in accordance with the constitutional and legal determinants, and in a way that preserves the security and stability of the region.

The Secretary of the Senate Defense and National Security Committee pointed out that the Egyptian Constitution issued in 2014 stipulated in Article 152 that the armed forces should not be sent on a combat mission outside the borders of the state except after taking the opinion of the National Defense Council and the approval of the House of Representatives by a two-thirds majority of the members. He explained that Article 130 of the internal regulations of the Egyptian House of Representatives specified the controls for approving a request to declare war or send the armed forces on a combat mission abroad.

He also pointed out that the article stipulates that the approval of the House of Representatives must be by a two-thirds majority of the members, and that the vote must take place during an urgent secret session held by the House at the request of the President of the Republic, after taking the opinion of the National Defense Council.

For his part, Dr. Haitham Omran, professor of political science and international law at Suez University, pointed out that the legal analysis of the Egyptian Parliament’s mandate to Sisi stems from the constitutional constants that limit the management of military affairs and foreign policy to national state institutions.

He also added that the decision represents an institutional and legislative framework that regulates any external strategic move within the framework of joint defense agreements. He explained that the mandate comes in implementation of the principle of common national security, which considers the security of the Arabian Gulf, led by Saudi Arabia, as an integral part of Egyptian national security.

In addition, he stressed that this is based on established rules in international law that allow countries to provide defensive military support based on an official request from the government of the country in question to protect its territories and citizens. He continued that the mandate gives the Egyptian President broad and flexible powers to assess the field and political situation, including taking the necessary measures to provide appropriate defensive military support, and determining the timing, nature and scope of the intervention, in a way that serves the supreme strategic interests of the two countries.

He pointed out that these powers allow the political and military leadership to quickly deal with urgent threats and secure strategic supply lines, while committing to support being limited to the framework of joint legitimate defense and deterring any external aggression that threatens the stability of the region.

The professor of political science and international law also considered that the decision represents an integrated strategic mandate that reflects the readiness of the Egyptian state to take effective action and protect its national security from the gate of the Arab depth. He added that the authorization gives the Egyptian leadership the ability to send military forces and provide advanced logistical and defense support to Saudi Arabia, as required by the national interest and developments in the field.

Omran concluded that this measure, in light of the accelerating regional challenges, establishes a message of deterrence that confirms that Egypt and Saudi Arabia represent a pillar of stability in the region, and that any infringement on Gulf security is a red line that Cairo deals with with all firmness and responsibility.

President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi’s request to authorize Parliament came in the context of his confirmation, during his speech at the graduation ceremony of new batches of military academy and colleges, yesterday, Saturday, Egypt’s readiness to take the necessary measures to protect and defend the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, if it requests that. Al-Sisi stressed that Egypt does not seek war or attack any party, but rather moves within the framework of defense, stressing Cairo’s refusal to undermine Saudi Arabia’s security and stability, and indicating that any move in this direction requires the approval of the Egyptian Parliament.

He also called for an end to the war and escalation in the region, stressing that Egypt stands with the Gulf states and protects their lands.

The president's statements reflect Cairo's link between Saudi Arabia's security and the security of the region, while affirming its readiness to respond to any Saudi request within a defensive framework, in accordance with the necessary constitutional procedures.