Egypt’s cabinet is expected to endorse the final draft of a new electoral constituencies law in a meeting on Wednesday, thus opening the country’s long-awaited polls to be held as soon as possible.
Informed sources told Ahram Online on Tuesday that Egypt’s cabinet, led by Prime Minister Ibrahim Mahlab, will endorse a final draft of the new electoral constituencies’ law in a plenary meeting on Wednesday.
The cabinet’s endorsement comes after the State Council’s Department of Legislations and Fatwas and the Higher Election Committee (HEC) approved the final draft of the law on Monday and Tuesday.
The remaining step for the law to go into effect and for long-awaited parliamentary elections to begin is for ratification by President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi.
The registration of candidates could open at the end of December or early January, the source added.
Ali Abdel-Al, a member of a technical committee which drafted the law, said that the law’s final form will not be sent to the High Constitutional Court (HCC) for additional examination.
“Some political parties asked for a prior HCC scrutiny of the law but this demand was rejected because it violates the constitution,” said Abdel-Al.
According to Abdel-Al, the constitution (article 192) only grants the HCC the right to scrutinise the Presidential Election Law.
If the law is ratified by President El-Sisi at the end of this week or next week, it will give the green-light for HEC to meet to prepare for the final election procedures and set a date for candidate registration in the polls.
Source : Ahram online
