Law banning dual-nationality Egyptians from parliament unconstitutional

Ahram Online , Saturday 7 Mar 2015

SCC
Egypt's Supreme Constitutional Court HQ in Maadi (Photo: Ahram)

Egypt's Supreme Constitutional Court (SCC) ruled Saturday unconstitutional a law banning dual nationality citizens from running in parliamentary elections.

The ruling opens the door for further postponement of parliamentary elections after an administrative court ordered a halt to all preparations for the vote.

The administrative court's order followed the SCC ruling unconstitutional parts of a different parliamentary election law.

While the parliamentary vote was initially set to start 21 March, new poll dates are yet to be determined.

Egypt has been without a parliament since the House of Representatives elected in late 2011 was dissolved in June 2012, following a court ruling that judged the law regulating its election to be unconstitutional.

In Saturday’s session, the SCC ruled the first section of Article 8 in the Parliamentary Elections Law unconstitutional.

The case was filed by lawyer Essam El-Islambouli.

Meanwhile, the court refused to hear another legal complaint challenging other parts of the same law.

Last week, the court looked into four cases challenging three election laws ruling that a part of the Elections Constituency Division Law is unconstitutional for violating the principle of fair, proportional representation of all voters.

Egypt’s President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, who holds legislative powers until an elected parliament convenes, urged the cabinet soon after last week’s ruling to amend the law within a month.

On Tuesday, an administrative court made the elections postponement official, ordering a halt to all preparations for the vote.

The 2015 parliamentary polls constitute the third and the last step in a political roadmap set forth by the army after the ouster of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in 2013.

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