Sisi orders preparations for parliamentary polls

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al- Sisi Tuesday ordered to form a parliamentary election commission to prepare for the upcoming parliamentary polls, a presidential spokesperson said.

The presidential decree issued by Sisi was in accordance with the amended constitution, the political rights law and the judicial authority law, Xinhua quoted the spokesperson as saying.

The preparatory procedures for Egypt's parliamentary elections have been set to kick off in mid-July, according to the newly- approved constitution. The parliamentary election body is to be presided by the head of Appeal Court according to the law.

After the amended constitution was approved in mid-January and the presidential election concluded in early June, the parliamentary election is considered the third and final phase of the future roadmap outlined by the military following the ouster of former Islamist president Mohamed Morsi.

As military chief then, Sisi led Morsi's removal in July 2013 following mass protests against his one-year rule and his currently-blacklisted Muslim Brotherhood group.

Over 1,000 Morsi supporters have been killed and thousands others arrested in a massive security crackdown following his ouster. Morsi himself is currently in custody for trials over a number of charges including inciting violence and espionage.

Liberals and Leftists, who supported Morsi's removal, are not on good terms with the current leadership due to the vast arrests and trials of youth activists who protested against the new leadership.

On Monday, an Egyptian court overturned a previous verdict that banned senior members of former president Hosni Mubarak's ruling party from running for the parliamentary elections. Mubarak's National Democratic Party was dissolved in April 2011 after a popular protest toppled the long-time ruler.