Yasser Hamza, a member of the Freedom and Justice Party’s legal committee, claimed Tuesday that the Shura Council will finalize a new law governing the parliamentary elections within 15 days.
Speaking to Al-Masry Al-Youm, Hamza denied rumors that the Shura Council plans to challenge Supreme Administrative Court’s ruling calling off elections until the Supreme Constitutional Court reviews the current elections law.
“The best alternative to [be able to hold] the elections soon is to devise a new law,” he said. “In that case, the SCC will have to rule on it within 45 days.”
“The reservations of SCC on the existing law would be taken into consideration,” he added. “Namely, the redistribution of the electoral constituencies and the military service condition for candidacy.”
He also said, “All political forces would be involved in the preparation of the new law… The clause on allowing civil society organizations to monitor the elections would be kept.”
Meanwhile, the Shura Council’s legislative committee approved a draft law in principle on elections and political rights presented by the Wasat Party.
Should the draft law be passed, the SCC would still have to review the legislation.
“The draft law addresses various points of disagreement between political forces and allows international supervision of elections,” said Wasat Party member Atef Awad.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
