Egypt’s House of Representatives discussed during its plenary session, on Monday, a draft law
on redrawing the country’s parliamentary electoral districts. The draft law is set for approval before summer recess.
The draft law was placed at the top of the parliament’s agenda on Monday, and was submitted by Abdel Hadi Al-Qasabi, head of the Support Egypt Coalition, and 60 other members of parliament. It was taken to the House of Representatives for discussions after its approval by the constitutional and legislative affairs committee on Sunday.
A total of 143 districts will be created to elect 284 MPs via the individual candidacy system, and another four districts will be formed to elect another 284 MPs through the closed list system.
“The law, in line with the constitution, also stipulates that 25% of seats be allocated to women representatives,” Al-Qasabi said, adding that “the president of the republic will be empowered by the constitution to name 28 appointees (5%).”
“This will bring the number of Egypt’s coming parliament to a total 596 deputies, with the division guaranteeing equality, legality, and fairness,” he said.
On Sunday, the committee meeting witnessed lengthy discussions on the number of seats in the electoral districts at the governorate level. The intense discussions came amid objections made by a number of representatives to the constituency areas.
House of Representatives Spokesperson Salah Hassaballah said that the Parliamentary Division of Districts Law reduced the number of districts due to the difference in the individual percentage compared to 2015.
He indicated that the Supreme Constitutional Court has set a relative weight that any legislator adheres to during its examination, examination, and judgment on the invalidity of the House of Representatives Act in the year 2015.
During a televised phone interview, Hassaballah also said that the court has determined the relative weight of the constituencies, according to the ratio between the population and the number of voters. He pointed out that there is one deputy for every 286,000 Egyptians, with a standard deviation of about 25%.
The law is among the last of five laws that aim to pave the way for Egypt’s parliamentary elections to be held next November. The first four laws, passed on 17 June, were related to: regulating the exercise of political rights; forming and electing the House of Representatives; forming and electing the Senate; and regulating the performance of the National Elections Authority (NEA).
The draft law divides the 134 individual seats among Egypt’s 27 governorates as follows: Cairo (19); Giza (12); Alexandria (6); Port Said (2); Ismailia (3); Suez (one); Qaliubiya (6); Sharqeya (8); Daqahleya (10); Damietta (2); Kafr El-Sheikh (4); Gharbeya (7); Menoufiya (6); Beheira (9); Fayoum (4); Beni Suef (4); Minya (6); Assiut (4); Sohag (8); Qena (4); Luxor (3); Aswan (4); Matrouh (2); New Valley (2); Red Sea (2); North Sinai (2); South Sinai (2).
As for the party list districts, four will be created: Cairo and the Middle and South Nile Delta; the North and Middle and South of Upper Egypt; the Eastern Nile Delta; and Western Nile Delta and Alexandria.
