Egypt's electoral districts law undergoing further examination: PM

Ahram Online, Wednesday 19 Nov 2014

The crucial law paves the way for parliamentary elections — the last step in a roadmap implemented following the July 2013 ouster of Mohamed Morsi

 Egyptian parliament
File Photo: A general view of the Egyptian parliament during a working session in Cairo, Egypt (Photo: AP)

Egypt's electoral districts law, a crucial step towards the election of a new parliament, is still undergoing study, Prime Minister Ibrahim Mahlab said Wednesday following a cabinet meeting.

The law, aimed at redrawing the country's electoral constituencies, is the final step on the road to legislative elections — the last stage of the political roadmap implemented following the ouster of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in July 3013, after the passing of a constitution and presidential elections held in May.

President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi said a new parliament will be elected by the end of March 2015.

Mahlab said the electoral constituencies law is not affected by the redrawing of Egypt's governorates map to introduce three new governorates, Reuters' Aswat Masriya reported.

According to the House of Representatives law, Egypt's new parliament will be comprised of 567 deputies, with 120 elected as party-based candidates ‎and 420 as independents, while 27 will be presidential ‎appointees.

A number of political parties have levelled accusations that the government's drafting of the law moved at a snail's pace and caused the country's long-awaited parliamentary polls to be postponed to the first quarter of 2015.

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