Surf Arab States

Arab States Weekly Review June 16th – 22nd 2012

The winner of Egypt’s presidential election is yet to be announced. Mohammed Morsi, a Muslim Brother, and Ahmed Shafiq, a Mubarak crony, both declared victory. The day before the elections, the constitutional court dissolved the Brotherhood-dominated parliament, citing technical grounds. A power struggle between the army and the Muslim Brotherhood is likely to persist.

Conflicting articles about the death of former Egypt president Hosni Mubarak added to the tense situation. An official report said he was clinically dead, yet his lawyer contested this. Mubarak was transferred to a police hospital in an affluent area of Cairo.

Following the death of Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Nayef, his 76-year old brother Prince Salman was announced as the next heir to King Abdullah. The King is believed to be 89 years old.