Egypt's first legislature in more than three years, a 596-seat chamber packed with supporters of President Abdel-Fattah El-Sissi, held its inaugural session on Sunday, signaling the completion of a political road map first announced in 2013. The assembly, elected in November and December, is the first elected chamber since El-Sissi, as military chief, led the ouster of Muhammad Morsi in 2013 following massive protests against the Islamist leader and his Muslim Brotherhood. The new parliament replaces one dominated by Islamists that was dissolved by a court ruling in June 2012. The new chamber's first task will be to ratify some 300 presidential decrees issued by El-Sissi since taking office in June 2014 and interim president Adly Mansour before him. Under the constitution, these decrees must be ratified within 15 days starting from the date of the inaugural session. Failure to do so will result in the automatic repeal of these laws. The decrees include a law severely restricting street demonstrations and a terror law that curbs press freedoms and gives police vast powers. Sunday's session was mostly a procedural one, with lawmakers taking the oath in turn. The chamber is also expected to elect a speaker and two deputies. Some of the lawmakers, in a show of patriotism, held red, black and white Egyptian flags as they took the oath. After Morsi's overthrow, El-Sissi announced three steps to take Egypt back to democratic rule: The adoption of a new constitution and presidential and parliamentary elections. The MPS are divided into 448 independents, 120 party-based deputies, and 28 presidential appointees. Each MP is obliged to read out the oath: "I swear by Almighty God to loyally uphold the republican system of Egypt, respect the constitution and the law, fully observe the interests of the people, and to safeguard the independence of the nation and integrity and unity of its land." Lawyer Bahaaa Abu-Shoka, 77, is the oldest parliamentarian, thus, according to parliament's law, will be the speaker of the first session until the rest of the MPs elect a speaker and two deputies. Abu-Shoka was appointed to the House of Representatives by El-Sisi, as one of the 28 presidential appointees. Four members apologized for not being able to attend the first parliamentary session. One of the members not present is buisnessman Farag Amer. The meeting is the first of its kind after the country's two previous parliaments were dissolved — the first in February 2011 and the second in June 2012 — and after former president Mohamed Morsi was ousted from office in July 2013. The meeting also represents the completion of the third stage of a political roadmap adopted since the removal of Morsi. The other stages included the passing of a new constitution, in January 2014, and the election of a president, former army chief Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, in June 2014. — Agencies
