Egypt's High Constitutional Court (HCC) rejected Monday the parliamentary election law submitted by the Shura Council, deeming some of its articles "unconstitutional”. According to Egypt’s Constitutional Court, five clauses in the law are “unconstitutional” and were sent back to the Shura Council for alteration. This move could postpone the Egyptian Parliamentary Election scheduled to take place next April. The commissioner’s authority also challenged an article connected with the division of constituencies nationwide. Previously, President Mohamed Morsi had intended to announce the parliamentary election law on Feb. 25 and set the Election Day.

Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi. Photo: Reuters

The process of ratifying a new election law could take at least 45 days despite plans to call for parliamentary polls within the coming weeks, said Mamdouh Ramzi, member of the constitutional and legislative committee in the Shura Council, the upper house of Egypt's parliament. At the moment, The Shura Council, currently endowed with legislative powers following the dissolution of the People's Assembly (the lower house of Egypt's parliament) last June, must amend the draft election law how that these articles have been rejected by the HCC.