Court ruling in Egypt is another setback for parliamentary elections

Egypt’s parliamentary elections, already behind schedule, face new delays after a court ruled Sunday that portions of the election law are unconstitutional.

The voting had been set to start March 21 and continue into the following month. The timetable now is uncertain. A redrafting of the law is to take place within a month.

The planned parliamentary vote had been trumpeted as a milestone in Egypt’s democratic transition, following four years of turmoil since the toppling of longtime dictator Hosni Mubarak. Egypt has been without a working parliament since 2012.

After Islamist president Mohamed Morsi was ousted in July 2013, Egypt held a constitutional referendum in January 2014, followed by a presidential election in May that was won overwhelmingly by Abdel Fattah Sisi, the then-defense minister who led the popularly supported coup against Morsi. Parliamentary elections were to have followed.

Tarek is a special correspondent. Times staff writer Laura King in Cairo contributed to this report.

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