Share

Egypt signals March parliament election

Cairo - Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has told visiting US businessmen that a parliamentary election will be held by March, his spokesperson said on Tuesday, trying to reassure them that the delayed poll would not be put off indefinitely.

Egypt has been without a parliament since June 2012, when a court dissolved the democratically elected main chamber, reversing a major accomplishment of the 2011 uprising that toppled autocrat Hosni Mubarak.

Under Islamist President Mohamed Morsi, legislative power was transferred to the upper house pending a fresh election. But before that poll took place, Morsi was toppled by the army following protests against his rule.

A political roadmap declared after Morsi's ouster envisaged a parliamentary election by November - six months after the May presidential poll which brought Sisi, the army chief behind Morsi's overthrow, to the presidency.

No date has been set for the parliamentary poll, but Sisi told the US businessmen it would go ahead before a major economic summit in March that Egypt hopes will boost investment and aid, his spokesperson Alaa Yousef said.

Election commission spokesperson Medhat Idriss said preparations still needed to be completed before the vote could be scheduled. He declined to say when the vote was likely to happen but Egyptian newspapers have quoted unnamed sources as saying the polls would happen around March.

"We are still waiting for the constituencies law and preparations for the elections are ongoing," he said.

Egypt's 2011 revolt ignited hopes for more freedoms and ushered in presidential and parliamentary polls that brought Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood into office.

Turmoil unleashed

Since Morsi's ousting, authorities have cracked down on the Brotherhood, killing hundreds and arresting thousands of its supporters. It has banned Egypt's oldest Islamist movement, declaring it a terrorist organisation.

Secular and liberal activists are also facing charges of violating a law passed last year that restricts protests.

Many Egyptians welcome Sisi's strong hand after three years of turmoil unleashed by the 2011 revolt, but critics say he is delaying elections to in order to consolidate his rule.

In the absence of parliament, Sisi has used his legislative authority to introduce economic reforms that have impressed investors, whilst also curtailing political freedoms.

Political sources say the long-awaited law outlining constituency boundaries could be passed any day, but that the delay suggests government anxiety about the election outcome.

With Mubarak's National Democratic Party gone, loyalists have scrambled to form alliances to secure Sisi a sizeable bloc of support.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Do you think corruption-accused National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula will survive a motion of no confidence against her?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
No, her days are numbered
41% - 582 votes
Yes, the ANC caucus will protect her
59% - 822 votes
Vote
Rand - Dollar
18.89
+0.3%
Rand - Pound
23.87
+0.1%
Rand - Euro
20.38
+0.2%
Rand - Aus dollar
12.32
+0.1%
Rand - Yen
0.12
+0.2%
Platinum
908.05
0.0%
Palladium
1,014.94
0.0%
Gold
2,232.75
-0.0%
Silver
24.95
-0.1%
Brent Crude
87.00
+1.8%
Top 40
68,346
0.0%
All Share
74,536
0.0%
Resource 10
57,251
0.0%
Industrial 25
103,936
0.0%
Financial 15
16,502
0.0%
All JSE data delayed by at least 15 minutes Iress logo
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE