Egypt’s highest court ruled on Saturday that parts of a revised election law setting out terms for a parliamentary vote were unconstitutional, casting fresh doubt over a poll that has already been delayed.

The Islamist-dominated upper house of parliament had approved the law last month and sent it to the Supreme Constitutional Court to check the legality of the voting procedures for a new lower house.

Opposition politicians had denounced the text of the revised election law approved by parliament and repeated threats to boycott the vote.

The court ruled that four provisions of the bill were unconstitutional, a judicial source said.

In its decision, the court took issue with parliament’s removal of a long-standing ban on religious slogans in electoral campaigning.

The ruling said that failing to include a specific clause in the law banning religious slogans could “undermine national unity.” The bill will now be sent back to parliament for review.

The ruling is the latest sign of friction between the judiciary, which Islamist lawmakers accuse of being loyal to deposed leader Hosni Mubarak and obstructing elections and legislation, and President Mohamed Morsy’s Muslim Brotherhood.

Morsy, an Islamist elected last year, originally called elections for April but postponed them when the court annulled the decree setting the dates.

Morsy has said elections could now begin in October, completing the democratic transition from Mubarak’s rule.

A separate court ruling last year dissolved the Muslim Brotherhood-led lower chamber elected in 2011-12.

Egypt has been plagued by political instability since Mubarak’s ouster, scaring away investors and tourists who are needed to keep the economy afloat.

Outside parliament, baton-wielding police pushed back activists who were protesting against a controversial judicial reform law that was being discussed inside the chamber.

Parliament voted to continue discussions of the law, angering secular MPs who wore black sashes condemning it.

Islamist lawmakers allied to the Brotherhood are pushing the bill, which would force out more than 3,000 judges by lowering the retirement age.

The bill has also angered liberal, leftist and ultra-conservative Islamist opposition groups which accuse the Brotherhood of trying to control state institutions rather than pressing genuine reforms. The Brotherhood denies this.

Morsy has faced a revolt against Islamist attempts to force out thousands of judges and he has alienated some of his aides.

Earlier this month, senior Egyptian judges halted talks with Morsy on judicial reforms after parliament decided to discuss the proposed laws despite presidential promises to seek consensus first.

The Judicial Inspection Department of the Ministry of Justice has referred judges from the pro-Muslim Brotherhood “Judges for Egypt” movement to a disciplinary board.  The 12 judges from the movement could be relieved of their duties for straying into the political arena, which the judicial authority law forbids.

A judicial source, speaking on condition of anonymity, told privately-owned ONA news wire, affiliated with ONTV satellite channel, that members of the movement had violated several of the statutes which govern the 12,000 judges making up the general assembly of the Judges Club.

Some of these violations, according to the source, pertain to the dismissal of former Prosecutor General Abdel Meguid Mahmoud and the general assembly’s rejection of the judicial authority bill, backed by the Muslim Brotherhood members of the Shura Council.

The source told ONA that the Judicial Inspection Department has questioned Walid Sharaby, the movement’s spokesperson, and others over the past few days regarding their alleged straying into politics. The department started investigating the issue after complaints were filed by other judges.

Ashraf Nada, president of the Minya Criminal Court, said the accused judges had committed many violations in the past and that they were on the verge of being sacked when the revolution erupted. He added that some of them were members of the Muslim Brotherhood, while others had joined the group in order to avoid losing their jobs.

Nada added that, rather than be called “Judges for Egypt,” a more appropriate name for them would be “Judges for the Brotherhood.”

Egyptian media reports also purport that Sharaby was a former state security officer.

The Judicial Inspection Department of the Ministry of Justice has referred judges from the pro-Muslim Brotherhood “Judges for Egypt” movement to a disciplinary board.  The 12 judges from the movement could be relieved of their duties for straying into the political arena, which the judicial authority law forbids.

A judicial source, speaking on condition of anonymity, told privately-owned ONA news wire, affiliated with ONTV satellite channel, that members of the movement had violated several of the statutes which govern the 12,000 judges making up the general assembly of the Judges Club.

Some of these violations, according to the source, pertain to the dismissal of former Prosecutor General Abdel Meguid Mahmoud and the general assembly’s rejection of the judicial authority bill, backed by the Muslim Brotherhood members of the Shura Council.

The source told ONA that the Judicial Inspection Department has questioned Walid Sharaby, the movement’s spokesperson, and others over the past few days regarding their alleged straying into politics. The department started investigating the issue after complaints were filed by other judges.

Ashraf Nada, president of the Minya Criminal Court, said the accused judges had committed many violations in the past and that they were on the verge of being sacked when the revolution erupted. He added that some of them were members of the Muslim Brotherhood, while others had joined the group in order to avoid losing their jobs.

Nada added that, rather than be called “Judges for Egypt,” a more appropriate name for them would be “Judges for the Brotherhood.”

Egyptian media reports also purport that Sharaby was a former state security officer.

The Judicial Inspection Department of the Ministry of Justice has referred judges from the pro-Muslim Brotherhood “Judges for Egypt” movement to a disciplinary board.  The 12 judges from the movement could be relieved of their duties for straying into the political arena, which the judicial authority law forbids.

A judicial source, speaking on condition of anonymity, told privately-owned ONA news wire, affiliated with ONTV satellite channel, that members of the movement had violated several of the statutes which govern the 12,000 judges making up the general assembly of the Judges Club.

Some of these violations, according to the source, pertain to the dismissal of former Prosecutor General Abdel Meguid Mahmoud and the general assembly’s rejection of the judicial authority bill, backed by the Muslim Brotherhood members of the Shura Council.

The source told ONA that the Judicial Inspection Department has questioned Walid Sharaby, the movement’s spokesperson, and others over the past few days regarding their alleged straying into politics. The department started investigating the issue after complaints were filed by other judges.

Ashraf Nada, president of the Minya Criminal Court, said the accused judges had committed many violations in the past and that they were on the verge of being sacked when the revolution erupted. He added that some of them were members of the Muslim Brotherhood, while others had joined the group in order to avoid losing their jobs.

Nada added that, rather than be called “Judges for Egypt,” a more appropriate name for them would be “Judges for the Brotherhood.”

Egyptian media reports also purport that Sharaby was a former state security officer.

On Saturday, Egypt’s Supreme Constitutional Court (SCC) declared several articles within the parliamentary elections law and the political practice law unconstitutional, SCC sources said.

Last April, the Shura Council signed into law modified copies of the parliamentary elections bill and the political rights bill, before referring them to the Supreme Constitutional Court to determine whether they were in line with the Constitution.

The Supreme Constitutional Court has ruled that articles 3, 13, 16, and 44 of the parliamentary elections law are unconstitutional, sources told Al-Masry Al-Youm on Saturday. The court ruled articles 1, 2, 10, 12, 16, 22, 31, 38, and 69 of the law on political practice unconstitutional, the sources continued.

The SCC issued its ruling on both laws on Saturday afternoon. The court will suggest amendments to those articles it deemed unconstitutional, sources added.

The sources said that articles in the parliamentary elections law related to the distribution of electoral constituencies and to candidacy exceptions were among those judged to be unconstitutional. One of these articles would have allowed governors to run for elections and remain in office for another month, until the announcement of the final lists of eligible candidates.

The sources added that the Court has asked that an amendment be made to an article criminalizing foreign funding of election campaigns.

On April 11, the Shura Council approved the two bills concerning parliamentary elections and the exercise of political rights and submitted them to the Supreme Constitutional Court for review.

The law governing parliamentary elections reorganizes electoral constituencies so that elections in 91 districts will be based on individual candidate lists and elections in 48 districts will be based on party lists, adding up to a total of 546 seats in Parliament.

Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm

Egypt is not opposed to the construction of the Renaissance Dam in Ethiopia, or to any other development project, as long as it does not impair Egypt’s interests, the Minister of Irrigation and Water Resources Mohamed Bahaa Eddin said on Saturday.

“A tripartite committee involving Egypt, Sudan, and Ethiopia is studying the effects that building the [Renaissance] Dam would have,” Bahaa Eddin added in a press statement Saturday, after President Mohamed Morsy and Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn met on the sidelines of the African Summit.

Bahaa Eddin refused to comment on Addis Ababa’s insistence on continuing work on the dam despite the fact that the committee has not concluded its study.

“Talks broached the subject of the Renaissance Dam project and the Ethiopian prime minister emphasized his country’s eagerness to prioritize Egypt’s interests above their own,” Bahaa Eddin said.

“The Renaissance [Dam] project is a regional project that benefits everyone, including Egypt and Sudan,” Bahaa Eddin added. He stressed that the project would not harm the interests of either Egypt or Sudan. 

Bahaa Eddin’s statement drew the ire of journalists because it is well-known that Egypt opposes the construction of the Renaissance Dam, as it would diminish its share of water from the Nile River.

In order to generate electricity, in April 2011 Ethiopia launched the project to build the Millennium dam, or “Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam,” on the Blue Nile, one of the tributaries of the Nile River. Cairo fears that the dam will reduce its share of Nile water, while Addis Ababa denies that the dam will have any such negative effect.

Discussing this issue is Morsy’s top priority on his current visit to Ethiopia, presidential office spokesperson Ehab Fahmy said.

The president will discuss the water issue with Ethiopian officials and other African leaders participating in the African Summit, Fahmy told Egyptian state-run television from Addis Ababa on Saturday.

Egypt and Sudan signed an agreement in 1959 that provided the former with a share of 51 billion square meters of water per year, and the latter with a share of 18 billion square meters.

In April 2010, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania signed a new agreement in Entebbe, Uganda, which redistributed shares of Nile water. Egypt and Sudan refused to sign the accord, declaring that it was non-binding. The deal was approved after Burundi signed the agreement in March 2011.

Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm

Egypt is not opposed to the construction of the Renaissance Dam in Ethiopia, or to any other development project, as long as it does not impair Egypt’s interests, the Minister of Irrigation and Water Resources Mohamed Bahaa Eddin said on Saturday.

“A tripartite committee involving Egypt, Sudan, and Ethiopia is studying the effects that building the [Renaissance] Dam would have,” Bahaa Eddin added in a press statement Saturday, after President Mohamed Morsy and Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn met on the sidelines of the African Summit.

Bahaa Eddin refused to comment on Addis Ababa’s insistence on continuing work on the dam despite the fact that the committee has not concluded its study.

“Talks broached the subject of the Renaissance Dam project and the Ethiopian prime minister emphasized his country’s eagerness to prioritize Egypt’s interests above their own,” Bahaa Eddin said.

“The Renaissance [Dam] project is a regional project that benefits everyone, including Egypt and Sudan,” Bahaa Eddin added. He stressed that the project would not harm the interests of either Egypt or Sudan. 

Bahaa Eddin’s statement drew the ire of journalists because it is well-known that Egypt opposes the construction of the Renaissance Dam, as it would diminish its share of water from the Nile River.

In order to generate electricity, in April 2011 Ethiopia launched the project to build the Millennium dam, or “Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam,” on the Blue Nile, one of the tributaries of the Nile River. Cairo fears that the dam will reduce its share of Nile water, while Addis Ababa denies that the dam will have any such negative effect.

Discussing this issue is Morsy’s top priority on his current visit to Ethiopia, presidential office spokesperson Ehab Fahmy said.

The president will discuss the water issue with Ethiopian officials and other African leaders participating in the African Summit, Fahmy told Egyptian state-run television from Addis Ababa on Saturday.

Egypt and Sudan signed an agreement in 1959 that provided the former with a share of 51 billion square meters of water per year, and the latter with a share of 18 billion square meters.

In April 2010, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania signed a new agreement in Entebbe, Uganda, which redistributed shares of Nile water. Egypt and Sudan refused to sign the accord, declaring that it was non-binding. The deal was approved after Burundi signed the agreement in March 2011.

Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm

Egypt is not opposed to the construction of the Renaissance Dam in Ethiopia, or to any other development project, as long as it does not impair Egypt’s interests, the Minister of Irrigation and Water Resources Mohamed Bahaa Eddin said on Saturday.

“A tripartite committee involving Egypt, Sudan, and Ethiopia is studying the effects that building the [Renaissance] Dam would have,” Bahaa Eddin added in a press statement Saturday, after President Mohamed Morsy and Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn met on the sidelines of the African Summit.

Bahaa Eddin refused to comment on Addis Ababa’s insistence on continuing work on the dam despite the fact that the committee has not concluded its study.

“Talks broached the subject of the Renaissance Dam project and the Ethiopian prime minister emphasized his country’s eagerness to prioritize Egypt’s interests above their own,” Bahaa Eddin said.

“The Renaissance [Dam] project is a regional project that benefits everyone, including Egypt and Sudan,” Bahaa Eddin added. He stressed that the project would not harm the interests of either Egypt or Sudan. 

Bahaa Eddin’s statement drew the ire of journalists because it is well-known that Egypt opposes the construction of the Renaissance Dam, as it would diminish its share of water from the Nile River.

In order to generate electricity, in April 2011 Ethiopia launched the project to build the Millennium dam, or “Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam,” on the Blue Nile, one of the tributaries of the Nile River. Cairo fears that the dam will reduce its share of Nile water, while Addis Ababa denies that the dam will have any such negative effect.

Discussing this issue is Morsy’s top priority on his current visit to Ethiopia, presidential office spokesperson Ehab Fahmy said.

The president will discuss the water issue with Ethiopian officials and other African leaders participating in the African Summit, Fahmy told Egyptian state-run television from Addis Ababa on Saturday.

Egypt and Sudan signed an agreement in 1959 that provided the former with a share of 51 billion square meters of water per year, and the latter with a share of 18 billion square meters.

In April 2010, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania signed a new agreement in Entebbe, Uganda, which redistributed shares of Nile water. Egypt and Sudan refused to sign the accord, declaring that it was non-binding. The deal was approved after Burundi signed the agreement in March 2011.

Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm