EGYPT’S PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS POSTPONED TIL NEXT MONTH

UPDATE: Magic Martin digs up for us the following video of the unrest.

Yahoo news

egypt riots 6.3.2013

Court suspends Egypt’s parliament election

CAIRO (AP) — An Egyptian administrative court on Wednesday ordered the suspension of parliamentary elections scheduled to begin next month, throwing the country’s politics deeper into confusion.

The verdict followed over a dozen complaints questioning the legality of the law organizing the elections.

Abdel-Meguid el-Muqanen, presiding judge of the administrative court, said that the law must be reviewed by the Supreme Constitutional Court to determine its conformity to the constitution. Meanwhile, he ordered the suspension and annulment of the presidential decree calling for elections.

Details of the ruling were not immediately available.

The government can appeal the administrative court ruling, but at the least the ruling may cause a delay in the vote. The multi-phase election is due to begin in April 22 and last for nearly two months. The period for candidates to apply was to begin on Saturday, but that likely cannot take place until the legalities are worked out, possibly pushing back the whole process.

More here.

6 Replies to “EGYPT’S PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS POSTPONED TIL NEXT MONTH”

  1. Tens clash with police near US embassy in Cairo

    Clashes with the police near Tahrir Square in Cairo continue for third day

    Clashes re-erupted Wednesday between tens of protesters and police near the US embassy where security presence is most intense. Protesters, mostly young, blocked the Nile Corniche with a tree as they continued to throw rocks at the police.

    It is unclear what triggered the restart of violence. However, intermittent clashes in the area have been ongoing for three days.

    Since the January 25 Revolution second anniversary, violence has escalated in Cairo and other governorates after mass anti-government protests took to the streets. Port Said has seen a civil disobedience campaign in protest at perceived marginalisation by the government.

    http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/66291/Egypt/Politics-/Tens-clash-with-police-near-US-embassy-in-Cairo.aspx

  2. Egyptian presidency to appeal court decision suspending parliamentary vote

    Egypt’s presidency will appeal a decision by the administrative court to suspend President Mohamed Morsi’s call for a parliamentary vote starting April 22, legal advisor Mohamed Gadallah told Reuters.

    “The presidency respects the administrative court’s decision and will stop the call for parliamentary elections. We are in a democratic system that respects the rule of law,” he said on Wednesday.

    “Having said that, there will be an appeal of the court’s decision filed by the State Judiciary Authority which represents the presidency and the government.”

    He said the appeal will argue that election decrees are sovereign acts carried out by the presidency and should not be overturned.

    Earlier Wednesday, Egypt’s Administrative Court overturned a presidential decree calling parliamentary elections on 22 April, after referring Egyptian electoral legislation to the High Constitutional Court on Wednesday, questioning the constitutionality of the newly-drafted law.

    http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/66296/Egypt/Politics-/Egyptian-presidency-to-appeal-court-decision-suspe.aspx