Fate of Egypt's parliamentary elections postponed

Ahram Online, Sunday 17 Mar 2013

Supreme Administrative Court defers verdict on suspension of parliamentary elections until 24 March

Egypt’s Supreme Administrative Court has postponed until 24 March its verdict on appeals against the suspension of parliamentary elections.

The appeals were submitted by the Egyptian State Lawsuit Authority on behalf of the presidency, and by former MP Mohamed El-Omda.

On 6 March, the Supreme Administrative Court overturned a presidential decree calling for parliamentary elections to begin on 22 April, questioning the constitutionality of the electoral law.

The High Constitutional Court (HCC) had rejected five of the electoral law's articles on 18 February. The law was referred back to the Shura Council, which partially amended the legislation without referring it back to the HCC for final approval. President Mohamed Morsi then issued a decree stating parliamentary polls would be held in late April.

An administrative court ruling said the Shura Council should have referred the electoral law back to the HCC before ratifying it, so as to ensure the amendments were constitutional.

On Sunday, Egypt’s office of state commissioners, a judicial body responsible for issuing non-binding recommendations to the courts, called for the appeals against the suspension of elections to be rejected.

Short link: