A Cairo Administrative Court's commissioner’s authority recommended on Sunday that a border demarcation deal between Egypt and Cyprus should be approved by parliament and put to a public referendum before it is passed.
In its report to the administrative court, the commissioner’s authority said that according to Article 151 of the constitution, the president must ratify deals with foreign nations after gaining the approval of parliament, and as such the Cyprus deal should be sent to parliament.
The commissioner’s authority’s opinion is not binding to the administrative court, which is yet to issue a ruling.
In April last year, Lawyers Mostafa Shaaban and Ayman El-Soeuify filed a lawsuit before the Administrative Court against the decision by the government not to send the agreement to parliament, which they say violates the constitution.
In 2013, Egypt and Cyprus signed an agreement over developing hydrocarbon reserves along the maritime border between both countries in the Exclusive Economic Zone.
In April 2015, Egypt, Greece and Cyprus agreed to form a committee to study clearly defining the maritime borders between the three countries.
Short link: