Egyptian representatives comment after Sisi was authorized to send Egyptian forces to Saudi Arabia

On Monday, the Egyptian House of Representatives approved authorizing President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi to “take the necessary measures to support the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.” Representatives said that “it will be a defensive mission,” while some abstained from voting on the resolution due to “the absence of information” regarding “calculations of the risks and potential losses that Egypt may bear.”

Parliament, headed by Counselor Hisham Badawi, granted its mandate to the Egyptian president “by a two-thirds majority of its members” after three secret sessions held on October 18, 19, and 26, according to a statement by the House of Representatives. The country's president does not declare war or send forces outside the state's borders except after taking the opinion of the National Defense Council and the approval of the House of Representatives by a two-thirds majority of members, according to Article 152 of the Egyptian Constitution.

Member of the House of Representatives, journalist Mustafa Bakri, said that Parliament’s approval of authorizing the President to send military forces to Saudi Arabia “reflects the Council’s confidence in the decisions of the President of the Republic, and confirms full solidarity with the Kingdom in protecting its security and stability.” Bakri explained, in exclusive statements to Ofoq News in Arabic, that “the mandate gives Sisi the authority to coordinate with Saudi Arabia regarding sending military forces if necessary, and at the time agreed upon by the two countries,” noting that “the mission will be defensive and within the borders of the Kingdom, in accordance with the mandate submitted and the decisions of the National Defense Council,” explaining that “the potential move is linked to coordination between the two countries and what the circumstances require.”

On October 17, President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi requested Parliament’s authorization during his speech at the graduation ceremony of a batch of cadets from the Egyptian Military Academy and new batches of military colleges. The House of Representatives began discussing the request the next day.

Parliament’s vote was preceded by a meeting of the National Defense Council, headed by Sisi, on October 18, during which the council affirmed “full solidarity with Saudi Arabia” and decided to “provide the necessary and possible forms of support to it to defend its security and stability and preserve its lands and Islamic sanctities,” in addition to intensifying political and diplomatic efforts to reduce escalation and settle regional crises by peaceful means. Bakri added, "The approval was granted by an almost absolute majority," pointing out that "the discussions did not witness a clear rejection of the mandate from any of the representatives, while some of the representatives who abstained from voting raised questions regarding the location of the forces and the nature of the mission, and whether it will be limited to defense or include offensive missions."

The member of the House of Representatives linked Saudi Arabia’s support to Egypt’s strategic interests, saying, “The Kingdom’s security is linked to Egyptian and Arab national security, in addition to Egyptian interests in the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab Strait, given the importance of the security of this region in relation to the Suez Canal and Egyptian national security.” For his part, a member of the House of Representatives, Atef Al-Maghawri, said, “The Council’s approval of the president’s mandate to support the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia came by an overwhelming majority.”

Al-Maghawri added, in exclusive statements to Ofoq News in Arabic, that “the technical details related to the nature of the measures or possible movements are not within the jurisdiction of the members of Parliament,” noting that “the Council’s approval in principle means that there is no constitutional obstacle to meeting any requirements to defend Saudi Arabia in the event that it requests it.” Al-Maghawri stressed that "Arab national security is indivisible," stressing the necessity of dealing with the security of Arab countries as a "shared responsibility."

On the other hand, Freddy Al-Bayadi, a member of the House of Representatives for the Egyptian Social Democratic Party, said that his party had abstained from voting on the mandate, and that “the abstention came for several reasons, even though the party did not reject the mandate in principle.” Al-Bayyadi explained, in special statements to Ofoq News in Arabic, that "these considerations prevented the rejection of the mandate in principle, but they were not enough to push the party to approve it, in light of the absence of information describing it as a mission, and the lack of clarity about the nature of the tasks included in the mandate or their time limits."

Al-Bayyadi pointed out that “MPs did not have sufficient information regarding the calculations of the risks and potential economic losses that Egypt may bear as a result of joining the conflict,” expressing his fear of the impact this would have on the Egyptian diplomatic role in the event of a military confrontation breaking out. Al-Bayadhi said, “The party had many questions that did not receive answers during parliamentary discussions, nor was sufficient additional information provided to clarify the dimensions of the mandate, which prompted it to insist on abstaining from voting.”

Despite this, Al-Bayyadi confirmed to Ofek News in Arabic, that “the party believes that the security of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is indivisible from the security of Egypt, and that the two countries have common interests in protecting Saudi Arabia, in light of the presence of millions of Egyptians working there, as well as interests related to protecting the Red Sea, the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, and economic relations between the two countries.”