The administrative court, led by State Council Vice President Kamal al-Lamai, has ruled to nullify parliamentary election results in seven new districts in greater Cairo. The decision argued the High Elections Commission failed to enforce judicial rulings to register additional candidates and change candidacy classifications.
Egypt's electoral rules reserve half of all parliamentary seats for workers or farmers and the other half for representatives of the professional class. The correct classification of candidates as either workers or professionals has been an issue of contention this electoral season.
The administrative court invalidated results in the Dokki and Agouza district where Wafd candidate Safeer Nur won the worker's seat, despite the court's ruling to reclassify him as a professional.
The court also nullified results in Gamaliyya and Manshiat Nasser because the High Elections Commission did not enforce a ruling to reclassify Haydar Baghdadi as a worker. This ruling canceled a commission decision which placed Baghdadi in competition for the professionals seat.
The administrative court also voided results in the districts of Hadayek al-Quba in Cairo, al-Haram and al-Omraniyya in Giza, 6th October Police Department, Mazghuna, and Kirdasa in 6th October because of failure to enforce a ruling requiring the inclusion of some independent candidates on the ballot.
In its legal opinion, the administrative court stated that the commission and the Interior Ministry flouted legal and constitutional principles by refusing to carry out the rulings. The commission, the opinion added, violated previous rulings which required additional candidacy registration and changes to electoral classifications, as well as the ruling to nullify elections in these districts prior to the poll's first round, held Sunday, 28 November.
