Africa & Sinai Peninsula
Egypt
Excerpted from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Politics of Egypt
The Egyptian constitution provides for a
strong executive.
Authority is vested in an elected president
who can appoint one or more vice presidents,
a prime minister, and a cabinet.
The president's term runs for 6 years.
Egypt's legislative body, the People's
Assembly, has 454 members - 444
popularly elected and 10
appointed by the president.
The constitution reserves 50% of the
assembly seats for "workers and peasants."
The assembly sits for a 5-year term but
can be dissolved earlier by the President.
There also is a 264-member Shura
(consultative) Council, in which 88
members are appointed and 174
elected for 6-year terms.
Below the national level, authority is
exercised by and through governors and
mayors appointed by the central government
and by popularly elected local councils.
Opposition party organisations make
their views public and represent
their followers at various levels
in the political system, but power
is concentrated in the hands of
the President and the National Democratic
Party majority in the People's Assembly
and those institutions dominate
the political system.
In addition to the ruling National
Democratic Party, there are 16 other
legally recognised parties.
The November 2000 elections were
generally considered to have been
more transparent and better executed
than past elections, because of universal
judicial monitoring of polling stations.
On the other hand, opposition parties
continue to lodge credible complaints
about electoral manipulation by the government.
There are significant restrictions
on the political process and freedom
of expression for non-governmental
organisations, including professional
syndicates and organisations promoting
respect for human rights.
Egypt's judicial system is based on
European (primarily French) legal
concepts and methods.
Under the Mubarak government, the courts
have demonstrated increasing independence,
and the principles of due process and
judicial review have gained greater respect.
The legal code is derived largely
from the Napoleonic Code.
Marriage and personal status (family law)
are primarily based on the religious
law of the individual concerned, which
for most Egyptians is Islamic Law (Sharia).
Government, Country name:
- conventional long form: Arab Republic of Egypt
- conventional short form: Egypt
- local long form: Jumhuriyat Misr al-Arabiyah
- local short form: Misr
- former: United Arab Republic (with Syria)
- Internet address: EG
- Government type: republic
- Capital: Cairo, Romanisation:
Al-Qahira
Administrative divisions: 26 governorates
(muhafazat, singular - muhafazah): Ad Daqahliyah,
Al Bahr al Ahmar, Al Buhayrah, Al Fayyum,
Al Gharbiyah, Al Iskandariyah, Al Isma'iliyah,
Al Jizah, Al Minufiyah, Al Minya, Al Qahirah,
Al Qalyubiyah, Al Wadi al Jadid, Ash Sharqiyah,
As Suways, Aswan, Asyut, Bani Suwayf,
Bur Sa'id, Dumyat, Janub Sina', Kafr ash Shaykh,
Matruh, Qina, Shamal Sina', Suhaj.
Independence: 28 February 1922 (from UK)
National holiday: Anniversary of the Revolution, 23 July (1952)
Constitution: 11 September 1971
Legal system: based on English common
law, Islamic law, and Napoleonic codes;
judicial review by Supreme Court and
Council of State (oversees validity
of administrative decisions); accepts
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations.
Suffrage: 18 years of age;
universal and compulsory
Executive branch:
Chief of state: President Mohammed
Hosni MUBARAK (since 14 October 1981)
Head of government: Prime Minister
Atef OBEID (since 5 October 1999)
Cabinet: Cabinet appointed
by the president
Elections: president nominated
by the People's Assembly for a six-year
term, the nomination must then be
validated by a national, popular
referendum; national referendum last
held 26 September 1999 (next to be
held NA October 2005); prime minister
appointed by the president.
Election results: national
referendum validated President
MUBARAK's nomination by the People's
Assembly to a fourth term.
Legislative branch: bicameral
system consists of the People's Assembly
or Majlis al-Sha'b (454 seats; 444
elected by popular vote, 10 appointed
by the president; members serve
five-year terms) and the Advisory
Council or Majlis al-Shura - which
functions only in a consultative role
(264 seats; 176 elected by popular vote,
88 appointed by the president.
Elections: People's Assembly -
last held 29 November 1995 (next to
be held NA November 2000); Advisory
Council - last held 7 June 1995.
Election results: People's
Assembly - percent of vote by
party - NDP 72%, independents 25%,
opposition 3%; seats by party - NDP
317, independents 114, NWP 6,
NPUG 5, Nasserist Arab Democratic
Party 1, LSP 1; Advisory Council -
percent of vote by party - NDP 99%,
independents 1%.
Judicial branch: Supreme Constitutional Court.
Political parties and leaders:
Democratic Unionist Party [Mohammed
'Abd-al-Mun'im TURK]; Green Party
[Kamal KIRAH]; Misr al-Fatah Party
(Young Egypt Party); Nasserist Arab
Democratic Party [Dia' al-din DAWUD];
National Democratic Party or NDP
[President Mohammed Hosni MUBARAK,
leader] - governing party; National
Progressive Unionist Grouping or
NPUG [Khalid MUHI AL-DIN]; New Wafd
Party or NWP [Fu'ad SIRAJ AL-DIN];
Social Justice Party [Muhammad 'ABDAL-'AL];
Socialist Labour Party or SLP [Ibrahim
SHUKRI]; Socialist Liberal Party
or LSP [Mustafa Kamal MURAD]; Umma
Party [Ahmad al-SABAHI].
Note: formation of political
parties must be approved by government.
Political pressure groups and leaders:
despite a constitutional ban against
religious-based parties, the
technically illegal Muslim
Brotherhood constitutes MUBARAK's
potentially most significant political
opposition; MUBARAK tolerated limited
political activity by the Brotherhood
for his first two terms, but has
moved more aggressively in the past
six years to block its influence;
trade unions and professional
associations are officially sanctioned.
Egyptians are living under emergency
law since 1967, except for an 18-month
break in 1980.
Emergency laws are contiguously
extended every 3 years since 1981.
Other pages inthis series.
Egypts facts and history
in brief, part 1, History, part 1
Egypts facts and history
in brief, part 2, History, part 2
Egypts facts and history in
brief, part 3, Politics
Egypts facts and history
in brief, part 4, Geography
Egypts facts and history
in brief, part 5, Economy
Egypts facts and history
in brief, part 6, Pharaos of Egypt
All text is available under the terms of the
GNU Free Documentation License.
This information is correct in 2003. E. & O.E.
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