First Egyptian Parliament since 2012 Sworn In
Local Editor
Egypt's new parliament convened on Sunday, in its first session in three years, after a legislative election dominated by pro-government candidates in the absence of any opposition.
Analysts said the new 596-member parliament is expected to strengthen the hand of President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and rubber-stamp his government's decisions.
Relatively, the parliament was elected last year in two phases with a low turnout of just 28.3 percent after authorities launched a deadly crackdown on the Muslim Brotherhood movement of ousted president Mohammad Morsi.
Besides, the group dominated the previous parliamentary election held between late 2011 and early 2012. That assembly was dissolved months later by a court on technical grounds.
Sunday's inaugural session witnessed the new parliamentarians taking oath one at a time, some of them holding Egypt's flag.
Deputies going into the heavily secured parliament building in Cairo said the first task ahead was to deal with hundreds of bills that need to be ratified.
Meanwhile, bills accumulated since the last Brotherhood-dominated parliament was dissolved by the constitutional court in June 2012.
In the process, lawmakers were elected under a complex system of independent candidates and party lists.
All party list seats went to the For Love of Egypt coalition, an alliance of parties and groups that support Sisi.
Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team
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