Upper Chamber Hears Supreme Constitutional Court Observations

In a press statement Sunday, Sobhi Saleh, Shura Council Constitutional and Legislative Committee rapporteur and Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) leader, said: "The Committee intends to take the observations of the Supreme Constitutional Court (SCC) into consideration, with regard to legal exercise of political rights and elections.

"The Shura Council is not a party to any dispute. It does not seek any confrontation, out of its genuine commitment to the provisions of the Constitution."

Saleh criticized the SCC’s proposition to allow the army and the police to get involved in elections and voting, pointing to the 1976 Resolution preventing them from voting in elections in order to maintain the military’s neutrality, keeping it out of political conflicts.

Sobhi Saleh further stressed that the Muslim Brotherhood and the FJP are not parties to this crisis

"The legislative elections will be next October or November, at the latest."

Saleh added: "The Committee will study and discuss SCC observations and the required amendments. Then, Shura Council will raise its report to the President of Egypt, who has the right to re-send bills to the SCC once again.

"Shura Council will not send its report to the SCC, because the Constitution did not provide for that."