The Supreme Administrative Court will consider on Thursday an appeal by the Presidential Elections Commission against a ruling issued on Wednesday by a lower administrative court which annulled the commission’s decision to refer a law banning former regime figures from the election to the Supreme Constitutional Court.
The ruling military council's approval of the Parliament-introduced amendments to the Political Rights Law in April had led to the temporary disqualification of former Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq, but the elections commission accepted Shafiq’s appeal and referred the law to the constitutional court.
An official at the Supreme Constitutional Court said on Wednesday that the court will continue to consider the law despite the Administrative Court's decision to annul the referral.
Presidential Elections Commission member Mohamed Momtaz Metwally told Al-Masry Al-Youm that the commission has not yet received a written declaration of the Administrative Court's verdict, but added that once received, the commission’s board will convene to discuss it before making any decisions.
The verdict has triggered a legal debate over whether it will result in Shafiq’s disqualification.
Elections commission head Farouk Sultan travelled to Morocco Wednesday morning, leaving behind the controversy over the fate of Shafiq’s candidacy.
Sultan said that election procedures will continue as planned despite the recent dispute between the commission and Parliament, which broke out after the elections commission accused MPs of questioning its integrity during the Monday session.
Edited Translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
