Egypt’s Military Amended Election Law: Parties Allowed to Contest Seats Reserved for Independents

Egypt's military council on 8 October 2011 amended a contentious election law to allow parties to contest a third of the seats in Parliament reserved for independents. Egypt’s military decided to cancel Article 5 of the election law, which reserved a third of seats for independents. The three-round Parliamentary election will start on 28 November 2011, which will be the first since an uprising that toppled President Hosni Mubarak on 11 February 2011.

The amendment to the election law was made after political parties warned the military, that they would boycott the poll if the article allowing only independent candidates to contest a third of seats were not amended. Political groups feared the law could allow supporters of Hosni Mubarak to return to power.

In September 2011, Egypt’s caretaker cabinet had announced that three rounds of elections will start on 28 November and made amendments to the contentious election law. This will be the first parliamentary election since the overthrow of President Hosni Mubarak in February this year.

Egypt's military council is acting as a caretaker government until the parliamentary elections are over.