Egypt

Government amends parliamentary elections law

The government on Tuesday approved a draft law to cancel recently-approved restrictions on the way candidates run for parliamentary seats.

The amendment will now go to the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) for approval.

Political party presidents had met with SCAF representatives on Saturday to call for the cancellation of Article 5 of the parliamentary elections law, which prevents party members from running both under a party list and for seats designated for the single-winner system.

Before its amendment, the law stated that half of parliamentary seats would be won through the single-winner system and the other half through a list-based candidacy system. Under pressure from revolutionary groups, however, the SCAF issued a constitutional declaration on 25 September, which stipulated that two-thirds of lawmakers should be elected through the list-based system and the remaining one-third through the single-winner system.

The declaration also prevented candidates for running for seats under more than one system.

The government's decision Tuesday marks the second time the elections law has been amended since it was issued in July. Parliamentary elections are scheduled to begin on 28 November.

During Saturday's meeting, participants also urged the activation of the Treachery Law. The government on Monday approved amendments to a draft version of the law.

Translated from the Arabic Edition

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