The United Nations Human Rights Council will discuss a report on the legislative environment in Egypt. The inter-governmental rights organization will likely urge the Egyptian government to review its legislative and legal procedures to address concerns mentioned in the report.
The report, which was prepared by the Egyptian Association for the Development of Community Participation, affirms that legislation undermines general freedoms, such as the freedoms of opinion, expression, and information, as well as the rights to peaceful assembly and participation in public affairs. Those are inalienable rights whose absence impairs the integrity of elections, according to the report.
Exceptional legislation in Egypt allows the executive to implement emergency laws, which have been in effect for the past 35 years. Meanwhile, ordinary legislation restricts freedoms and allows the executive to interfere in elections, which has led to diminished political participation, the report added.
General elections in Egypt are governed by contradictory laws, according to the report. Law number 73 of 1956 on exercising political rights, and amendments number 173 of 2005 and 18 of 2007 entrust the Supreme Committee with the organization of elections.
Law number 38 of 1972 on the People’s Assembly and amendments number 175 of 2005, and law number 120 of 1980 on the Shura Council and amendment number 176 of 2005, give the Ministry of Interior the right to organize matters relating to nominations, election campaigns, and the right to organize by-elections.
The report criticized the interference of the executive branch in elections and accused them of disrespecting laws promulgated by the People’s Assembly.
Finally, the report recommended preventing security forces from interfering in elections, affirming that the executive authority hands the responsibility for important political, economic and social issues to security services, to the extent that many important topics are dealt with almost exclusively by the security apparatus.
Translated from the Arabic Edition.
