Egypt: High court dissolves lower house after 2011's 'illegitimate' election

Cairo, 14 June (AKI) - Egypt's supreme court on Thursday ordered that the lower house of parliament be dissolved after it ruled that the 2011 election was unconstitutional.

The court said in its reasons for the decision, "the makeup of the entire chamber is illegal and, consequently, it does not legally stand."

The ruling said the "first-past-the-post" system were "illegitimate."

"The constitutional court affirmed in the details of its verdict that the parliamentary elections were not constitutional, and the entire composition of parliament has been illegitimate since its election," the Egyptian Mena news agency reported.

In another ruling, the country's highest court allowed deposed president Hosni Mubarak's prime minister Ahmed Shafiq to contest Saturday and Sunday's presidential runoff against the Muslim Brotherhood's candidate, Mohammed Morsi.

In the weeks running up to last month's first round of presidential voting, parliament had passed a law banning Ahmed Shafik, who was Mubarak’s last prime minister, and other top officials of the Mubarak government from seeking the presidency

There's speculation that the ruling could invalidate the candidacy of Mohamed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood who was in the running largely because of the Islamist majority in parliament from last year's election.

At issue was the rule that sets aside two-thirds of the seats in parliament for selection by a system of party lists - proportional representation . and another third reserved for individual candidates competing in first-past-the-pole races.