Mahmoud Mekki ( ar, محمود محمود أحمد مكي; born 1954) is an Egyptian politician who served as the
vice president of Egypt
The vice-president of the Arab Republic of Egypt is a senior official within the Egyptian government.
History of the office
Before 1971
In 1962, President Gamal Abdel Nasser instituted collective leadership in Egypt, separating the post of Pr ...
from August 2012 to December 2012. He was appointed by President
Mohamed Morsi
Mohamed Mohamed Morsi Eissa al-AyyatThe spellings of his first and last names vary. survey of 14 news organizations plus Wikipedia in July 20122011 revolution and the
2012 presidential election
This national electoral calendar for 2012 lists the national/federal elections held in 2012 in all sovereign states and their dependent territories. By-elections are excluded, though national referendums are included.
January
*3–4 January: E ...
on 12 August 2012. He was Egypt's first vice president from a civilian background rather than a military one. He resigned from his post on 22 December 2012.
Early life and education
Mekki was born in
Alexandria
Alexandria ( or ; ar, ٱلْإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّةُ ; grc-gre, Αλεξάνδρεια, Alexándria) is the second largest city in Egypt, and the largest city on the Mediterranean coast. Founded in by Alexander the Great, Alexandria ...
in 1954. After graduating from police college in Cairo he worked as a police officer in
Central Security Forces
The General Security and Central Security Forces ( ar, قوات الأمن العام و الأمن المركزي, Quwwāt al-Amn al- Amm wa Quwwāt al-Amn al-Markazī, often shortened to ar, الأمن المركزي, Al-Amn al-Markazī) is ...
. He then got a bachelor's degree in law and worked in general prosecution ( ar, النيابة العامة). A few years later, Mekki became a judge. Working his way up the judicial ladder, he was eventually appointed vice-president of the Court of Cassation (
Arabic
Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic languages, Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C ...
: محكمه النقض)., which represents the final stage of criminal appeal in Egypt.
He is younger brother of Ahmed Mekki, the former minister of justice in the
Qandil Cabinet
The cabinet of Egyptian Prime Minister Hesham Qandil was sworn in on 2 August 2012. Qandil was appointed by President Mohamed Morsi, following the resignation of military-named premier Kamal Ganzouri. The cabinet consists of 36 ministers. The com ...
.
Career
Since the mid-1980s, Mekki, along with a large number of Egypt's judges, were engaged in advocating judicial independence, an idea which was brought to light at the time by Yehia Rifai, Chairman of the
Egyptian Judges' Club
The Egyptian Judges' Club (''Nadi al Quda'') was founded in Cairo, Egypt in 1939, primarily as a social club for judges. It is not formally registered as a professional association, as that would place it under the jurisdiction of Egypt's Ministry ...
at the time. Brothers Ahmed and Mahmoud Makky alongside Hossam Ghariani and others were demanding separation of the executive authority over courts and the transfer of judicial inspection to the Supreme judicial Council.
Makky headed the follow-up elections in the Judges' Club, and coordinator of the movement of the independent judges. In 2006, he led demonstrations for independence of the judiciary from the executive. Makky also demanded the amendment of article 76 of the Egyptian constitution to allow multiple presidential candidates to run for elections. In 1992, Makky headed a strike by judges to request the release of two judges who they claimed had been unfairly detained.
In 2005, Makky was arrested and tried. During the trial of Makky in 2005, the
Muslim Brotherhood
The Society of the Muslim Brothers ( ar, جماعة الإخوان المسلمين'' ''), better known as the Muslim Brotherhood ( ', is a transnational Sunni Islamist organization founded in Egypt by Islamic scholar and schoolteacher Hassan ...
showed intense solidarity with him during the trial. Salim Al-Awa and a large number of lawyers pleaded with him. In 2006, he was cleared of the charge.
Makky had a popular position in 2006 when he surprised the judges and the broad masses huddled in front of the High Court after the end of the first session of the disciplinary trial for Makky and ran quickly towards Major General Ismail Shaer, director of Cairo security. He held him by his hands and said to him "Do you know Omar?", Shaer replied "Yes, he is my late son," Makky replied "If you really remember him, then pray from him and stop police brutality against youth demonstrators since they are all the same age of your late son." People who saw the incident said that Shaer nearly cried while he listened to these words.
In 2010, he moved to
Kuwait
Kuwait (; ar, الكويت ', or ), officially the State of Kuwait ( ar, دولة الكويت '), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated in the northern edge of Eastern Arabia at the tip of the Persian Gulf, bordering Iraq to the nort ...
, and was appointed vice-president of Kuwait's Court of Cassation. He returned to Egypt in August 2012 upon the proposal by President Morsi to be his deputy. On 22 December 2012, Mekki resigned from his post, stating that "I have realized a while ago that the nature of politics does not suit my professional background as a judge." The post of vice presidency of Egypt was also abolished after the constitutional referendum in December 2012. However, after the overthrow of President
Mohamed Morsi
Mohamed Mohamed Morsi Eissa al-AyyatThe spellings of his first and last names vary. survey of 14 news organizations plus Wikipedia in July 20122013 Egyptian coup d'état
The 2013 Egyptian coup d'etat took place on 3 July 2013. Egyptian army chief General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi led a coalition to remove the democratically elected
President of Egypt, Mohamed Morsi, from power and suspended the Egyptian constitut ...
, the position of the vice presidency was briefly restored by Acting President
Adly Mansour
Adly Mahmoud Mansour ( ar, عدلى محمود منصور ; born 23 December 1945) is an Egyptian judge and politician who served as the president (or chief justice) of the Supreme Constitutional Court of Egypt. He also served as interim ...
, who appointed
Mohamed ElBaradei
Mohamed Mustafa ElBaradei ( ar, محمد مصطفى البرادعي, Muḥammad Muṣṭafá al-Barādaʿī, ; born 17 June 1942) is an Egyptian law scholar and diplomat who served as the vice president of Egypt on an interim basis from 14 July ...
to the post of acting vice president on 7 July 2013. After his resignation Makky assumed the role of the chairman of a national dialogue forum to consolidate political forces with the Qandil cabinet.
President Morsi appointed Makky as Egypt's Ambassador to the
Vatican City
Vatican City (), officially the Vatican City State ( it, Stato della Città del Vaticano; la, Status Civitatis Vaticanae),—'
* german: Vatikanstadt, cf. '—' (in Austria: ')
* pl, Miasto Watykańskie, cf. '—'
* pt, Cidade do Vati ...