SCAF head Field Marshal Hussien Tantawi Cairo – Akram Ali Egypt’s ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) issued a law governing the country's first presidential elections just four days before the new People’s Assembly held its first session on January 23 , published only in a rarely-read official paper.
Under the terms of the law, signed by the SCAF head Field Marshal Hussien Tantawi, only Egyptian nationals born to Egyptian parents and who do not hold dual citizenship can qualify for candidacy.
Egypt’s official paper (Al Waqaea Al Masreya) reported candidates must be endorsed by at least 30 members of parliament or 30,000 eligible voters.
They also must have completed their military service and will not qualify if married to a foreign citizen.
Parties represented in parliament can nominate one candidate for the election which will take place over one day.
The election commission overseeing the process will be chaired by the head of the Supreme Constitutional Court.
While the law was published on January 19, it was only made public on Monday.
For his part, General Mamdouh Shahin, a member of the military council, said that the law was issued by the SCAF ahead of the parliament's first session, which was held on January 23.
"Parliament has the right to review all laws or declarations issued by the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces," Shahin told reporters.
He said that the registration date for candidates was yet to be decided by the election commission.
The decree included a number of amendments to Al-Azhar’s internal law allowing scholars to elect Al-Azhar’s grand imam; for decades, the president appointed him instead.
The decree also included a bill for the development of the long-neglected Sinai Peninsula, the declaration of January 25 as the revolution’s anniversary, the preservation of Police Day as the same day, and an amendment to the armed forces’ code allowing the head of the state to honour revolutionaries with special military medals.