A total of 5,037 hopefuls have submitted their application to register as candidates in the upcoming Egyptian parliamentary elections, the High Elections Committee announced in a statement on Saturday, the last day in an extended registration period.
Parliamentary elections were originally scheduled to take place in March and April, and candidate registration was accordingly begun, but a ruling by the Supreme Constitutional Court that current electoral laws were unconstitutional brought preparations to a halt.
The committee had announced last week that candidates who had submitted the results of mandatory medical tests in February would not need to take the tests again when they re-submit their applications.
However, the Administrative Court subsequently issued a ruling that the decision by the committee to accept medical check-ups from February was a violation of the law.
As a result of the ruling, the elections committee extended the current registration period by three days, to close on Saturday.
On Saturday the committee announced that it would not extend the registration dates further. From 16-18 September the committee will release information regarding which applications have been accepted and which rejected, and will hear appeals rejected candidates.
The committee added that five party-based lists have also submitted their registration applications.
Egypt’s parliament – the House of Representatives – will be made up of 596 members, 448 elected as independents and 120 from party-based lists.
The remaining 28 seats will be filled by presidential appointees.
The multi-stage polls will begin on 17 October and conclude on 2 December.
curled from news.egypt.com
