Weekly Briefs

The House of Representatives agreed in principle to the proposed constitutional amendments. Media reports indicated a vote of 485 to 18 in favor, though no official tabulation or record of votes was released. Speaker of the House Ali Abdel ‘Al subsequently referred the amendments to the Constitutional and Legislative Affairs Committee, which will review the proposal for up to 60 days.

Summary Representatives from the Coalition in Support of Egypt officially proposed amendments to the constitution, which include extending presidential term limits to two six-year terms. The amendments would also reduce

The House responded to criticisms from European countries about Egypt’s human rights record, and three new representatives were sworn in to office.

Special elections for the three available House of Representatives seats in Tamiya, Zefta, and Arish were held December 13–14 for expatriates in Egyptian embassies and December 19–20 for domestic residents.

Following U.N. Special Rapporteur on the Right to Housing Leilani Farha’s statement condemning Egypt’s reprisals against housing activists whom she met with on a recent mission to the country, committees in the House of Representatives condemned Farha’s remarks.

After Italian authorities announced their intention to indict up to seven Egyptian security personnel in the death of Italian graduate student Giulio Regeni in 2016, the Italian Chamber of Deputies temporarily suspended ties with Egypt’s House of Representatives.

After its internal council elections, several members of the Wafd Party contested the results, prompting party Chairman Bahaa Abu Shoqa to expel six members from the organization for allegedly promoting personal interests ahead of the organization’s goals.

Delegations from the House of Representatives visited the United Kingdom and Belarus to discuss parliamentary cooperation and other issues. Members of the House also met the chair of the Bundestag’s human rights committee.

At the World Youth Forum, President Abdel-Fattah El Sisi announced that he would permit a study into potential amendments for the NGO Law. Representatives mostly praised the decision.

Representatives from the Mashreq Committee in the European Parliament traveled to Egypt and met with officials from the Egyptian House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee.