Egyptians fear for elections delay due to court ruling

Egypt's Supreme Constitutional Court on Sunday ruled an electoral law article which regulates the division of the electoral districts of the country's upcoming parliamentary elections as unconstitutional, a ruling that may delay the vote set for March 21, state-run Nile TV reported.

"The court ruled that Article 3 in Presidential Decree Law 202 for 2014 on dividing constituencies in the parliamentary elections was unconstitutional," said judge Anwar al-Asy.

Several appeals were filed against three laws of the elections, namely redrawing of electoral districts, workings of the House of Representatives and exercising political rights.

But the court only accepted the appeal on the voting districts which was ruled unconstitutional.

The appeals challenged that the law does not represent all districts fairly, and that it also restricts the representation of the Egyptians living abroad.

President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi ordered that the law be redrafted within a month and asked that "legal measures be taken to avoid delaying the elections."

"The president issued directives to the government to quickly make the necessary legislative changes to the law organizing the election process," a statement from the Presidency said.

Egypt's parliamentary polls are supposed to be held in stages from March 21 to May 7, the first since the ouster of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi by then army chief Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in July 2013.

Egypt has been without a parliament for three years, after the House of Representatives elected in late 2011 was dissolved in June 2012 in line with a court ruling.

The parliamentary elections will be the final stage of a roadmap outlined by the army-backed authority after the ouster of Morsi.

"Nullifying one clause of a law means to completely rescind it, " Mohamed Nour, professor of constitutional law, told Xinhua.

The court ruling means halting the upcoming parliamentary elections, he added, noting it brings elections process to zero point.

"Now the ball is in the government's backyard," he explained. It should urge for swiftly amending the disputed article and redistribute the electoral districts on fair representation of the populations, and then refer it back to president for approval.

In line with the new amendments, the candidates have to register again, he added.

The administrative court, which rules on state related matters, will now decide whether to formally rule on delaying the election, added the legal expert.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Electoral Commission, following the ruling, called for an urgent meeting to discuss the ruling's impact over the polls process, state-run Ahram online reported.

Spokesman for the electoral commission Omar Marwan said the court ruling will be referred to the administrative court, then to the body entitled with amending laws, and eventually to the president for approval following a review by the cabinet.

"There is no doubt, the parliamentary elections will be delayed, until finalizing all the stages of amendments and endorsement," Marwan was quoted by Ahram as saying.

According to a law ratified by Sisi late December, the parliament will have a total of 567 seats, 420 for independent candidates, 120 for party-based ones and 27 for presidential appointees.

Until a newly elected parliament convenes, the president holds all legislative powers. Enditem