Egypt parliament suspended in row with military

CAIRO (AFP) - Egypt's Islamist-dominated parliament decided on Sunday to suspend sessions for a week in protest at the ruling military refusing to sack the government and name the Muslim Brotherhood's party to head a new one.

"This crisis must be resolved," said parliament speaker Saad al-Katatni.

"We have a lot of work ahead of us, including (reforming) the panel on the constitution. We have no wish to hamper parliament, but we need a solution, and that's why I propose that parliamentary sessions be suspended for a week."

Several members of parliament again demanded that the current government be dismissed.

A marathon election which ended in January saw Egypt's two main Islamist parties catapulted to the centre stage of politics, clinching nearly three quarters of the 498 seats in parliament.

The Freedom and Justice Party, political arm of the country's powerful Muslim Brotherhood, has been pressuring the military ever since to sack the government and name the FJP to lead a new cabinet.

But the ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, which took over when president Hosni Mubarak was ousted on February 11 last year after a popular uprising, has continued to back Prime Minister Kamal al-Ganzuri's government.

Ganzuri was a minister under Mubarak, and is accused by the Islamists of stalling the revolution.

Katatni's proposal for a suspension was approved by MPs, and parliament will next meet on May 6.