CAIRO, 17 June 2020: Egypt’s House of Representatives approved officially, a bill on establishing the Senate, during a Wednesday general session.
The draft law submitted by MP Abdel Hadi al-Qasabi, head of Support Egypt Coalition, was approved by nearly two-thirds majority of members of Parliament, while only four MPs refused it.
According to the passed bill the Senate will be made up of 300 members, with one third to be elected through the individual system, the second third through the closed list system, and the last third to be named by the president.
According to the bill, at least 10 percent of the Senate seats should be occupied by women, and there will be 27 constituencies for the individual system, and four constituencies for the closed list system.
The draft law, specified that 27 electoral constituencies will be allocated for election in the individual system, 4 constituencies for election in the lists system in which only two of them will have up to 15 seats each and the other two will have 35 seats each.
The draft law requires that each electoral list to include number of candidates equal to the number required to be elected in the electoral district along with another number of standby candidates equal to it.
It was also explained that, each list of 15 seats, must include at least three women, and each list of 35 seats must include at least seven women.
The senator's term of office will be five years and it will start as of the first meeting of the Senate.
A Senate candidate, according to the bill, should be of Egyptian nationality and should have performed the military service and enjoy full political and civil rights and have a university degree.
The Senate will be tasked with making suggestions on how to promote democracy and social peace, as well as maintaining values and freedoms in the society.
It will also give its opinion on suggestions to amend the constitution, the draft national plan for social and economic development, and peace and alliance conventions.
The president may also seek the opinion of the Senate on issues related to the State's general policy and its Arab and foreign affairs.
On June 15, Egypt’s House initially approved the Senate law bill, as elections are expected to be held starting next August according to Parliamentary sources statements on June 13, as the House of Representatives elections, will be held in November as previously scheduled, the sources added
Wed, Jun. 17, 2020
