 CAIRO — Egypt's upper parliamentary house gave the green light on Saturday to the constitutional amendment allowing the country to hold its first multi-candidate presidential elections. The 264-member Shura Council voted unanimously for the move, a week after President Hosni Mubarak surprised the nation by ordering the change.
| A unanimous decision. There's democracy in action, by Gawd! |
It will be the first time in Egypt's modern history that the country will be able to vote for more than one presidential candidate. Previously people had to vote "yes" or "no" for a single candidate approved by both houses of parliament.
Safwat Al Sherif, the speaker of the Shura Council, made the announcement that the amendment to article 76 — the law in question — would go ahead, Egypt's Middle East official news agency said. Al Sherif also called upon all political parties to participate in the presidential vote, the agency said.
| So long as they all lose. |
The Shura Council is half elected by popular vote, half appointed by Mubarak, and is correctly seen more as a rubber stamping body than an effective legislature. |
