Egypt's High Constitutional Court (HCC) announced on Monday afternoon it had rejected five articles of the draft parliamentary elections law that is soon up for ratification. The law would regulate parliamentary elections expected in April 2013.

The law, drafted by the Shura Council — the upper house of parliament which is currently endowed with legislative powers following the dissolution of the People's Assembly in June 2012 — was presented to the HCC for approval before which it must be ratified.

The law will be remanded to the Shura Council to look into amending the articles whose constitutionality questioned by the HCC, before presenting it to President Mohamed Morsi for ratification.

On Monday, presidential sources announced that the presidential elections process is set to open later this week or early next week.

The People's Assembly (parliamentary lower house) was dissolved in 2012 by an HCC court order that rendered the law that elected that chamber unconstitutional.

The Shura Council has assumed full legislative powers on a temporary basis until the new House of Representatives (formerly called the People's Assembly) is elected.