Since the revolution started last January, Egypt’s antiquities community has been rocked by protests, criticism and reshuffles of top personnel at the Supreme Council of Antiquities, the powerful governmental body which oversees all of Egypt’s archaeological sites.
Following the announcement today that Abdel Fatah would be offered the full authority of a minister, in order to better proceed with the Council’s archaeological and administrative work, protesters blocked the entrance to the Council’s offices in Abbassiya, switching off the electricity and preventing the employees from entering. They also expelled the building’s security guards and shut the iron gates.
Atef Abul Dahab, head of the Ancient Egyptian Antiquities Department, told Ahram Online that upon his arrival at the building, more than 4,000 archaeologists were blocking the entrance, leading the Council staff to call both the civil police and the military police. However, according to Dahab’s account, protesters refused to move unless their demands were met, and all efforts were made to appoint the 14,000 temporary employees who had been employed for periods of more than eight years.
Back in Cairo, Abdel Fatah did not go to his office today and insists that his resignation will stand. He has sent an apology to the prime minister, blaming his failure to continue on medical reasons. “I cannot be at the forefront of all this pressure and these problems, which are a severe risk to my life,” Abdel Fatah wrote in his apology. “They threw me into a bad spot,” he asserted. He argues that he cannot solve any of the problems of the Council’s staff for the time being because of lack of money. “How can I appoint temporary staff and new graduates when I don’t have enough money for that?”
So far, Sharaf has not responded to the letter and the protesters remain in place at the Abbassiya building.
Author: Nevine El-Aref | Source: Ahram Online [September 27, 2011]