The Shura Council approved the use of religious slogans in election campaigns on Tuesday during a discussion on laws governing political rights, according to state newspaper Al-Ahram.
But it wasn't a smooth vote. The newspaper said opposition and independent MPs debated the amendment fiercely and walked out after losing the vote.
The amendment's proponents were mainly Islamist factions.
The council’s legislative committee had approved the amendment in principle Sunday by removing Article 61 of the draft elections law banning religious slogans.
Previously, candidates who violated this law could be imprisoned for at least three months and be forced to pay a LE5,000 fine.
Shura Council Speaker Ahmed Fahmy said MPs will vote on the draft elections law as a whole Wednesday.
The draft will then be submitted to the Supreme Constitutional Court for its approval.
The majority of Shura Council MPs are from the Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party. The Brotherhood's slogan is “Islam is the solution," which the FJP could not use in the 2011 parliamentary elections as per law.
Before the vote, several opposition and independent MPs from the Wafd, Egyptian Social Democratic, Free Egyptians and Egyptian Current parties met to discuss a strategy to stop the amendment in its tracks.
“The Islamist parties allowing religious slogans would increase division in the country,” said Abdel Rahman Hareedy of the Egyptian Current Party.
After he asked which party would win the right to use the Brotherhood's motto. “Will it be the Nour Party, the Construction and Development Party or the Brotherhood?”
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
