Sisi orders government to amend elections law within a month - state television

Sunday 01-03-2015 02:15 PM
Sisi orders government to amend elections law within a month - state television

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi addresses the nation in a speech - Handout

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CAIRO, Mar 1 (Aswat Masriya) - Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi told the government on Sunday to amend a law regulating elections after it was deemed unconstitutional by a top court, in no more than a month, state television reported. 

Sisi called on the government to take the necessary legal procedures to avoid a delay in holding parliamentary elections. 

The body overseeing the elections, the Supreme Elections Commission (SEC) held an uregnt meeting after the supreme court issued its ruling earlier today.

The commission said in a statement that "a new shcedule will be announced once the legislative amendments [are made]."    

The Supreme Constitutional Court decided against the constitutionality of one of the three laws governing the parliamentary elections. 

The court found Article 3 of the constituency law unconstitutional. Lawyer Ibrahim Fekri said the law was characterised by a lack of equality among voters. 

Fekri said, for instance, one constituency may have up 200,000 voters and three seats in parliament, while another may have 20,000 voters and a single seat. He stressed the need to rely on clear criteria to decide on the number of seats assigned to each constituency. 

The law was issued by Sisi in December 2014 to regulate electoral districts and was one of the final steps that needed to be taken before elections are held. 

The supreme court's rulings are binding to the state and cannot be appealed. 

The elections were scheduled to begin later this month, with the first taking place on March 22 and 23 and the second phase running from April 26 to 27.

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