Ikhwanweb :: The Muslim Brotherhood Official English Website

Lawyers: Egypt Parliament Disbanding Impossible Under New Constitution

Although the new national charter states Shura Council is entrusted with legislative authority ‘until House of Representatives is elected’ (which it is not as yet), a lawsuit is to be considered for dissolving the Council on May 12.

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In a press statement, Abdel-Moneim Abdel-Maksoud, Muslim Brotherhood lawyer, reaffirmed that no court in Egypt has the jurisdiction or authority to strike down the Shura Council (upper house of Egypt’s parliament).

"The Shura Council is a perfectly legal and legitimate entity according to the new Constitution which was approved by a national referendum in which millions of Egyptians participated. Consequently, the decision to disband the Council is not up to any court at all.

"Consideration of the case before the Supreme Constitutional Court (SCC) is totally irrelevant. All talk about Shura Council dissolution now is only for propaganda purposes."

Earlier, a report by the College of Commissioners of the SCC recommended the court should not accept the lawsuit claiming certain articles of the Shura Council elections law were unconstitutional, because the new constitution recently adopted in Egypt immunizes Shura Council against dissolution.

The SCC, however, set a May 12 session for consideration of the case. The Commissioners’ report also recommended dismissal of the case due to legal system changes in Egypt, and because the new Constitution protects the Shura Council as the only legislative authority until the new House of Representatives is elected.