(AFP PHOTO / HO / EGYPTIAN PRESIDENCY)
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi announced that the parliamentary elections process will begin before 18 July during his meeting with United States Secretary of State John Kerry on Sunday.
Cairo was Kerry’s first stop on a tour of Europe and the Middle East during which he is expected to meet the US’s Gulf allies and European officials to discuss the situations in Ukraine, Iraq and Syria.
Presidential spokesman Ihab Badawi indicated that during their meeting, Al-Sisi said that electing a new parliament is an essential step toward completing the necessary legislative basis required to transform the constitution to binging laws, reported state-run Al-Ahram. The president added that this transformation is particularly needed in rights and freedoms issues as well as issues which concern youth and female empowerment.
The president stressed Egypt’s determination to see through the “roadmap” he had announced on 3 July after the ouster of former President Mohamed Morsi. The Egyptian state has already finalised most of the steps addressed in the “roadmap”, most importantly the passing of the constitution and the election of a president.
Article 230 of the constitution stipulates that should the presidential elections be held first, the parliamentary elections are to follow within six months.
Outgoing President Adly Mansour issued a presidential decree on 14 April creating the committee to amend the laws in preparation for the coming parliamentary elections.
An earlier draft the committee produced was criticised by several political parties. The committee amended the draft legislations and referred them to the cabinet for approval on 4 June. If approved by the cabinet, the draft would be sent to the president for ratification.
