Ikhwanweb :: The Muslim Brotherhood Official English Website

The Supreme Constitutional Court (SCC), headed by Justice Maher El-Beheiri, has referred the new House of Representatives election bill and the political rights bill to the SCC College of Commissioners for a legal opinion. The SCC received the final drafts of the two laws on Sunday morning from the Shura Council (Egypt’s upper house of parliament).

MP Taher Abdel-Mohsen, deputy of the Constitutional and Legislative Affairs Committee of the Shura Council, said: "The bills were sent with explanatory notes and necessary paperwork to the SCC for prior oversight of the draft laws in compliance with Article 177 of Egypt’s postrevolution Constitution.

"After reviewing the two laws, the SCC will inform us of its decision. The Shura Council will then send it to the Presidency."

Abdel-Mohsen further said: "Depending on the course of events, the deadline for the SCC’s response will be the end of May 2013. The Shura Council will then have about 15 days in which to act upon the SCC’s decision or recommendations.

"The bills will then be sent to the Egyptian President, who will pass them as laws within a period of one month. Then, we will have two months in which to open the door for election candidacy. It is expected that elections thus will begin in the middle of September or around the beginning of October 2013."