Egypt: Newly elected Parliament takes an oath after three years hiatus

Egypt's newly elected Parliament
(Image: Ahram Online)

Egypt's newly elected Parliament has finally taken an oath on Sunday, 10 January, marking the first session of a state legislative body after almost three years hiatus, as the previous Egyptian Parliament elected under the rule of the Islamist backed President Mohamed Morsi was dissolved by the decision of the High Constitutional Court.

Recent parliamentary elections held in Egypt in two stages were the final step of the political roadmap declared by Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi at the beginning of his presidential term.

The MPs, who make Egypt's largest Parliament in history, are divided into 448 independent candidates, 120 party lists' based deputies and 28 MPs appointed recently by the President.

During the official Sunday ceremony each MP has read an oath: "I swear by Almighty God to loyally uphold the republican system of Egypt, respect the constitution and the law, fully observe the interests of the people, and to safeguard the independence of the nation and integrity and unity of its land".

Lawyer Bahaa Abu-Shoqa, who is 77, is the eldest member of the newly elected Parliament and, according to the law, was the speaker of the first session of the Parliament and was entrusted to elect the speaker and two of his deputies.  Abu-Shoqa was appointed to the House of Representatives as one of the 28 MPs appointed by the President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi.  

Constitutional Law Professor of Ain Shams University Ali Abdel-Al was elected as the speaker of Egypt's new Parliament, House of Representatives.

The first session of the new Parliament completed the third stage of the political roadmap for Egypt adopted after Mohamed Morsi was ousted. Other stages included Presidential election and adopting of the new Constitution.