British Minister “Concerned” After Possible Delay of Elections in Egypt

The British minister for the Middle East urged on Sunday that “constitutional elections” be held in Egypt “as soon as possible”, in response to reports that Egypt’s parliamentary elections, due this month, have been delayed.

“I am concerned that Egypt has been without a full parliament for two and a half years,” Minister Tobias Ellwood said in a statement.

Ellwood’s statement comes after Egypt’s Supreme Constitutional Court decided earlier today against the constitutionality of an article in one of the laws regulating parliamentary elections, in a ruling likely to postpone the elections race.

Three laws were issued to regulate the elections, only one of which was issued by President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, the constituency law. In its ruling, the court decided that Article 3 of this law is unconstitutional. The Supreme Court’s rulings are binding to the state and cannot be appealed.

Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi told the government today to amend the law in no more than a month, to avoid a delay in holding the parliamentary elections.

“I encourage all relevant institutions in Egypt to take the necessary steps to hold free and constitutional parliamentary elections as soon as possible and to complete the road map announced in July 2013,” Ellwood said, welcoming Sisi’s “commitment to amend the electoral laws within a month.”

The parliamentary elections were scheduled to take place over two phases, with the first taking place on March 22 and 23 and the second phase running from April 26 to 27.

Source: Aswat Masriya