- EGYPT
- April 13, 2012
- 3 minutes read
Egyptian Parliament Passes Law Blocking Mubarak-Era Senior Figures’ Presidential Bids
In its latest session, Thursday, the Egyptian People’s Assembly has passed a final law reform on political rights (disenfranchisement law), stripping former regime top officials of all political rights, including running for president, for ten years, after a number of proposals were submitted by many MPs.
Earlier, during its special session on Monday, the People’s Assembly started discussing and debating a report on the matter by the Joint Committees of the Constitutional and Legislative Affairs Committee, and the Suggestions and Complaints Committee.
The bill proposed by the Committees deprives of political rights all those who during the ten years prior to February 11, 2011 worked as president, prime minister, president of the dissolved National Party, secretary-general of said party, a member of its political office or its General Secretariat, for a period of ten years from the date indicated.
The Parliamentary Joint Committee’s report said that comparable legislation in countries that went through stages of revolutionary similar to Egypt’s current phase confirms that this ban is regularly passed by lawmakers. It also points that legal practice in contemporary, recent history of the Egyptian State completely excluded all officials of the royal era from participating in political and procuratorial activity for long periods. Hence, application of this prohibition with respect to the position of President is more urgent and highlights consensus between the task of legislation and society’s will for reform, and for building a new political system with new policies and new politicians.
