Middle East News

Egypt court overturns ban on two parties ahead of elections

Oct 11, 2011, 10:49 GMT

Cairo - An Egyptian court Tuesday overturned a ban on two political parties, including one closely associated with an extreme Islamist movement, a day before the election committee was due to begin receiving nominations for the November 28 parliamentary elections, Egyptian media reported.

The court approved a license for the Al-Benaa Wal Tanmeya (Building and Development) party, which represents the Islamist Al-Jamaa Al-Islamiya, saying it met the conditions set out by the law.

A committee had initially rejected the Islamist party for its 'purely religious' platform.

But the court ruled that the party's founding statement did not discriminate between members according to their religious beliefs and that its founders included both Muslims and non-Muslims, as the law stipulates.

The other party approved by the court is the secular Al-Ghad Al-Gadeed (New Tomorrow), led by presidential hopeful Ayman Nour.

The Independent High Elections Commission was to begin accepting applications from potential contenders for both houses of parliament on Wednesday.

Registration for the elections, the first since ousted president Hosny Mubarak was unseated in February, is to end on October 18.

Polls are to be held in three stages, with the first to start on November 28 in nine of Egypt's 27 provinces.