General Overview
Egypt has offered humanity the oldest political system ever.
Along the River Nile’s bank, the first central, unified state in the world was formed.
Egypt had the precedence in creating the life of a whole nation through the formation of organizational frameworks that had an important role in maintaining the values of democracy and freedom.
Constitution: Egypt’s permanent constitution(issued in September 1971and later amended on May 22 1980, and in 2005) regulates the State’s political system and determines general authorities and reference terms.
The Egyptian constitution hereby enforces the pillars of the Democratic,Parliamentary System, stresses the supremacy of the law and the independence of judicial authorities based on the basic fundamentals of Islamic Sharia’a (Islamic Laws) and Arabic as the official language of Egypt.
The Egyptian political system entails six authorities:
Legislative, Executive, Judiciary, Press, Political Parties, Local Administration and Civil Society Organizations.
1- The Legislative Authority
1 - The Peoples's Assembly (The Parliament):
The People’s Assembly exercises the legislative power and approves the State’s general policy.
The assembly’s current term involves 454 members, 10 of whom are appointed by the Egyptian President.
The elected members to The People’s Assembly must be at least 350 members.
The duration of the People’s Assembly term is five years starting from the date of its first meeting.
During the latest parliamentary elections in October/November 2004, Egypt has applied judicial supervision on all polling stations throughout the three stages of the elections.
The People’s Assembly carries out its legislative and supervisory missions through 18 committees which are: Constitutional and Legislative, Planning and Budgeting, Economic Affairs, Foreign Affairs, Arab Affairs, Defense and National Security, Suggestions and Complaint, Man Power, Industry and Energy, Agriculture and Irrigation, Education and Scientific Research, Religious, Social and Waqfs (Endowments), Culture, Media and Tourism, Health and Environment Affairs, Transport and Communication, Housing, Public Utilities and Construction, Local Government and Public Organization and Youth Committees.
2 - The Shura Council (Consultative Assembly):
The Shura Council is entitled to study and propose whatever it sees can maintain the national unity and social peace and protect basic constituents of the community.
The current Shura Council is composed of 264 members.
The term of membership is six years.
50% of the members are to be re-elected or re-appointed after 3 years.
Latest elections were undertaken in June 2004 under complete judicial supervision.
2- The Executive Authority
1 - The President:
The President of Egypt undertakes the executive authority in his capacity as the person ensuring the sovereignty of the Egyptian people, respect for the law and Constitution as well as the protection of national unity.
The presidential term lasts for six years starting from the date of announcing the referendum results.
The President may be re-elected for other terms. The public-policy making process is being undertaken and its implementation supervised by the President cooperatively with the Cabinet of Ministers.
The President is also the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces and Head of both the Supreme Police Council and the National Defense Council.
Mubarak won the first multi-candidate presidential elections in 2005, with a majority of 88.6 per cent of the total votes.
2- The Government:
The Egyptian Government, represented by Cabinet of Ministers, is the highest administrative and executive body managing the State's affairs including:
Directing, Coordinating and Monitoring the performance of ministries and public authorities.
Drafting public budget and state plan.
Concluding and granting loans based on the presidential laws and decrees, the government, in conjunction with the President, lays down the State's public policy and supervises its implementation.
The government also works on the implementation of laws, maintaining national security and protecting citizens' rights and interests.
The Cabinet consists of 31 Minister, and is headed by The Prime Minister.
The Central Authority for Public Mobilization and Statistics and the Central Authority for Organization and Administration are bodies assisting the government.
3- The Judicial Authority:
The Egyptian constitution stipulates that the judiciary is an independent body that courts undertake; and judges, who are also independent, issue verdicts based on the law. No authority, whatsoever, is allowed to interfere in judicial affairs.
The judicial authority is composed of a diversity of courts (partial, primary, courts of appeal and cassation), administrative judiciary (state-council) and the Supreme Constitutional Court, the highest judicial body of the judicial authority.
The Egyptian judiciary plays a key role in monitoring the constitutionality of laws and interpreting their provisions. Moreover, it also effectively helps enforce democracy in Egypt through having an important role in forming political parties, protecting this way the rights, freedom and values of the Egyptian society and people.
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