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Egypt’s Military Council Protects its Power Under President-elect

Egypt’s Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF), the body that took control of the government following the ouster of Hosni Mubarak, has solidified its position in the government of President-elect Mohamed Morsi (pictured) by naming its head, Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, to serve as the defense minister. In a statement by its spokesman on Wednesday, SCAF fired across the bow of the Muslim Brotherhood, the leading party and party of the president-elect, warning it will not rescind a constitutional amendment it created to justify its own position by granting itself broad legislative powers. But what is not clear is whether SCAF is willing to relinquish power once a new legislature is elected. Earlier this month, a judicial panel threw out the results of the recent parliamentary election. SCAF, which has said it will not allow elections until a new constitution is in place, controls the process through which the new constitution will be written.