Egypt's Shura Council (upper house), which was recently ruled unconstitutional, should limit itself to only issuing laws necessary for the current transition period,  Egyptian Current Party member and MP Abdel-Rahman Haridi asserted in a press statement late Friday.

The Shura Council should stick to their assigned role - per the new constitution as highlighted by the current court verdict - as a temporary legislative body until a new House of Representatives (lower house) is elected, Haridi said.

The Shura Council is currently reviewing several controversial laws, including the Judicial Authority law, the law regulating NGOs and the law regulating demonstrations. 

On 2 June, the High Constitutional Court (HCC) ruled unconstitutional an article regulating the election of independent MPs to the Shura Council, which is now acting as the sole legislative body.

Two thirds of the council's elected members were elected from party lists; the remaining third were independents.

According to the ruling, the Shura Council will be dissolved after a new House of Representatives is formed.

Article 230 of the constitution states that the Shura Council cannot be dissolved until the House of Representatives convenes. The Shura Council was given complete legislative power by President Mohamed Morsi upon his inauguration to replace the Lower House of parliament, which was dissolved upon a similar verdict.   

Meanwhile, the opposition Egyptian Current Party (whose members are mostly former Brotherhood members expelled for internal differences) condemned the torching of the anti-Morsi Rebel Campaign headquarters and the attack of the Free Egyptians opposition party headquarters in Cairo’s Daher district.

The Muslim Brotherhood have been blamed for both attacks, although the assailants have not yet been officially identified.

The Egyptian Current Party demanded prompt investigations and arrests.