CAPE TOWN - The Egyptian parliament on Sunday approved an amendment to an article in the constitution setting the number of MPs at 568 and giving women 25% of seats, reported English-language publication, Egypt Today.
According to Daily News Egypt, article three stipulates that 50% of this number, or 284 MPs, will be elected via the individual electoral system, with the remaining 284 MPs to be elected through the closed list system.
As per the new amendment, five per cent of the members would be appointed by the president instead of being elected.
The amendments were drafted and submitted by the parliamentary majority, Support Egypt coalition, last week, reported Daily News Egypt.
The approval comes after parliament rejected a number of amendments, including changing the number of MPs.
Sunday’s approved amendment came as part of other amendments approved via public referendum in 2019, reported English-language daily news publication, Arab News.
The approved articles also included the expanding of the two presidential terms allowed for any president, from four years to six.
Furthermore, a separate transitional article gives an exceptional right to incumbent president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, who was re-elected in 2018, to run for a third six-year term after he finishes his second term in 2024 instead of 2022.
Meanwhile, Egypt Today reported that parliament’s legislative committee last week gave a preliminary approval on a draft law on the formation of the country’s reinstated senate.
The approval came after the draft law was widely hailed by the committee members, who affirmed that it complied with the constitutional articles in light of the latest amendments.