Egypt court suspends parliamentary elections

Cairo: An Egyptian court on Wednesday overturned President Muhammed Mursi's decree that had called for parliamentary elections from April 22, questioning its constitutionality, a ruling that may deepen the political crisis in the polarised country.

Egypt's administrative court has suspended the presidential decree, state-run MENA news agency reported. The court said it acted because the upper house of Parliament had not returned the amended electoral law to the Constitutional Court for review.

The court ordered that the elections law be referred to the Supreme Constitutional Court. In February, Mursi had called for House of Representatives elections to start on April 22 and conclude in late June.

In February, Muhammed Mursi had called for House of Representatives elections to start on April 22 and conclude in late June.

Mursi hoped that the four-stage vote would help conclude the country's turbulent transition to democracy. The main opposition coalition National Salvation Front had said that it would boycott the vote, saying that there were no guarantees that the elections would be free and fair.

According to the new Constitution, the Supreme Constitutional Court is supposed to rule on the election law, but the Shura Council's Constitutional and Legislative Affairs Committee head Abdel Mohsen has argued that the SCC cannot review laws after they are passed by the council.

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