Parliament proposes vast expansion of Disenfranchisement Law

Ahram Online , Monday 23 Apr 2012

Amendments to the Disenfranchisement Law mean the draft legislation will now include more high-level officials who were 'corrupt' or used their political position for their own benefit during the last 10 years of the Mubarak era

A parliament session in Cairo
A parliament session in Cairo (photo: Reuters)

The recommendations and complaints committee in parliament has agreed after a meeting on Monday to amend several articles in the proposed Corrupting Political Life Law known as the Disenfranchisement Law.

The draft legislation, which was discussed and approved last week by the People's Assembly, stipulates that a limited number of individuals who served in top positions in the regime of the ousted president Hosni Mubarak during the past ten years would not be eligible to enter the presidential race.

According to the new amendments, the ban on holding higher public office extends to to any public servant, minister, and member of Parliament, Shura Council or local council who spread 'corruption in Egypt’s political life' or 'harmed the national interest' after November 1973.

The amendments also include anyone who used their political position to secure employment in public or private institutions and companies, or to influence the pricing of public property, crops and financial securities.

The amendments extend the law to those who tried to influence Egypt’s judiciary or participated in rigging elections.

The amendments were presented by MP Sobhi Saleh of the Muslim Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice Party (FJP).

Egypt's Supreme Constitutional Court (SCC) rejected on Saturday the military council's request to determine the constitutionality of the drafted Disenfranchisement Law before proposed legislation becomes law.

Short link: