Constitutional Law Professor Abdel-Al Named Egypt's Parliament Speaker
TEHRAN (Tasnim) - Constitutional law professor Ali Abdel-Al was elected as Egypt's parliament speaker late in Sunday's procedural session, which saw the legislature convene for the first time in more than three years after MPs swore the constitutional oath.
The 68-year-old Abdel-Al, who was clearly favoured to win, is an Ain Shams University constitutional law emeritus professor who won a seat in an Upper Egypt governorate as part of the Pro-Egyptian State Coalition, which at the time was named the For the Love of Egypt list.
Abdel-Al, who belongs to the Support Egypt parliamentary bloc, defeated six MPs, including independents Tawfik Okasha and Kamal Ahmed, Ahram Online reported.
The election of a speaker was decided for the first time in the absence of a powerful ruling party. Under the 30-year rule of former president Hosni Mubarak, the ruling National Democratic Party (NDP) had the upper hand in selecting the speaker and two deputies.
The MPs, who make up Egypt’s largest parliament to date, are divided into 448 independents, 120 party-based deputies and 28 presidential appointees.
Each MP read out the 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 Bahaaa Abu-Shoqa, 77, is the oldest parliamentarian, and thus, according to parliament's law, was the speaker of the first session until the MPs elect a speaker and two deputies.
Abu-Shoqa was appointed to the House of Representatives by President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi as one of the 28 presidential appointees.
Four members, including businessman Farag Amer, apologised for not being able to attend the first parliamentary session.
The meeting is the first of its kind after the country's two previous parliaments were dissolved — the first in February 2011 and the second in June 2012 — and after former president Mohamed Mursi was ousted from office in July 2013.
The meeting also represents the completion of the third stage of a political roadmap adopted since the removal of Mursi.
The other stages included the passing of a new constitution in January 2014 and the election of a president, former army chief El-Sisi, in June 2014.
