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Egypt shortens election period for upper house of parliament

Arab World Materials 2 January 2012 13:35 (UTC +04:00)
Egypt's ruling military council chief Hussein Tantawi has issued a decree to shorten the election period for the advisory Shura Council, or the upper house of parliament, dpa reported with the reference to state media.
Egypt shortens election period for upper house of parliament

Egypt's ruling military council chief Hussein Tantawi has issued a decree to shorten the election period for the advisory Shura Council, or the upper house of parliament, dpa reported with the reference to state media.

Elections are now to be held over two stages, instead of the originally planned three stages.

According to the decree, voting will take place between January 29 and February 22, Al-Ahram newspaper reported.

The shorter period will bring forward the first session of the new Shura Council by three weeks. It will be held on February 28.

The third and final round of voting for the lower house of parliament begins Tuesday, in the last nine provinces in the country, and ends on January 11.

Egypt's Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, which has been ruling the country since the ouster of Mubarak in February, faces public pressure to speed up the transfer of power to a civilian administration.

However, it is not clear if Tantawi's decree will shorten the transitional period in the country.

Presidential elections are set to be held in June.

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