Council of Representatives

- Constitution of Egypt

Section 2: Council of Representatives

Article 113: Composition

The Council of Representatives has at least 350 members, elected by direct, secretpublic balloting.

A candidate for parliamentary elections must be an Egyptian citizen, enjoying civiland political rights, holder of a certificate of basic education, and 25 years old orolder at the time of candidacy.

Other requirements of candidacy, the provisions for election, the fairlyrepresentative division of constituencies, are defined by law.

Article 114: Term

The term of membership is five calendar years, commencing from the date of its first session.

Elections for a new Council of Representatives are held during the 60 days precedingthe end of term for the previous Council of Representatives.

Article 115: Mandate

The Council of Representatives holds legislative power, and is responsible forapproving the state’s general policy, the public plan for economic and socialdevelopment and the annual state budget law. It exercises control over the executivebranch’s work, in the manner prescribed by the Constitution.

The procedures for drafting the public plan for economic and social development,and presenting it to the Council of Representatives, are determined by law.

Article 116: Annual state budget law

The annual state budget includes all revenue and expenditure without exception.The draft annual state is submitted to the Council of Representatives at least 90days before the beginning of the fiscal year. It is not considered in effect unlessapproved thereby, and it is put to vote on a chapter-by-chapter basis.

The Council of Representatives may modify the expenditures in the draft budget law,except those proposed to honor a specific liability. Should the modification result inan increase in total expenditure, the Council of Representatives agrees with thegovernment on means to secure revenue resources to achieve a balance betweenrevenues and expenditures. The budget is issued in a law, which may includemodification in any existing law to the extent necessary to realize such balance.

If the new budget is not approved before the beginning of the new fiscal year, theearlier budget remains in effect until the new budget is approved.

The specifics of the fiscal year, the method of budget preparation, the provisions ofthe budgets of institutions, public bodies, and their accounts, are defined by law.

Article 117: Transfer of funds in the budget law

The Council of Representatives’ approval is necessary for the transfer of any fundsfrom one chapter of the budget to another, as well as for any expenditure notincluded therein or in excess of its estimates. The approval is issued in a law.

Article 118: Collection and disbursement of public funds

The basic rules for collection of public funds and the procedure for theirdisbursement is regulated by law.

Article 119: Salaries, pensions, indemnities, subsides andbonuses

The rules governing salaries, pensions, indemnities, subsides and bonuses taken fromthe state treasury are regulated by law; so are the cases for exception from suchrules, and the authorities in charge of their application.

Article 120: Council of Representatives’ approval forcontracting loans

The executive branch of government cannot contract a loan, obtain a fund, orcommit itself to a project entailing expenditure from the state treasury for asubsequent period, except with the Council of Representatives' approval.

Article 121: Final account

The final account of the annual state budget is submitted to the Council ofRepresentatives within a period not exceeding 6 months from the end of the fiscalyear. The annual report of the Central Auditing Organization and the latter’sobservations on the final account must be attached.

The final account of the annual state budget is put to vote on a chapter-by-chapterbasis and is issued by law.

The Council of Representatives has the right to request from the Central AuditingOrganization any additional data or pertinent reports.

Article 122: Special investigative committees

The Council of Representatives may form a special committee or entrust one of itsexisting committees to examine the activities of any administrative department orinstitution or public enterprise, for the purpose of fact-finding regarding a specificissue and informing the Council of Representatives of the actual financial,administrative or economic status, or for conducting investigations into a pastactivity; the Council of Representatives decides on the appropriate course of action.

In order to carry out its mission, such a committee would be entitled to collect theevidence it deems necessary and to summon individuals for interviews. All executiveand administrative bodies respond to demands by the committee and put under itsdisposal all the documents and evidence required.

Article 123: Request for information

Every member of the Council of Representatives may submit questions to the PrimeMinister, to one of his deputies, or to a minister in relation to any matter that fallsunder their mandate. It is obligatory to respond.

The member may withdraw his question at any time. A question cannot become aninterrogation in the same session.

Article 124: Briefings and statements

Every member of the Council of Representatives may request an urgent briefing or astatement from the Prime Minister, the Prime Minister’s deputies, or to ministers inrelation to urgent matters of public importance.

The government is obliged to respond.

Article 125: Interrogation

Every member of the Council of Representatives may address interrogations to the Prime Minister, to the Prime Minister’s deputies, or to ministers in relation to urgentmatters of public importance.

Debate on an interrogation takes place at least seven days after its submission,except in cases of urgency as decided by the Council of Representatives and with thegovernment’s consent.

Article 126: Withdrawal of confidence

The Council of Representatives may decide to withdraw its confidence from thePrime Minister, a deputy of the Prime Minister, or any one of the ministers.

A motion of no confidence may be submitted only after an interrogation, uponproposal by one-tenth of the Council of Representatives’ members. The Council ofRepresentatives should reach a decision within seven days from the date of debatingthe motion. A withdrawal of confidence requires a majority of the Council of Representatives’ members to be successful.

In all cases, a no confidence motion may not be passed in connection with an issuethat had already been decided upon in the same juridical term.

If the Council of Representatives decides to withdraw confidence from the PrimeMinister or a minister, and the government announced its solidarity with him beforethe vote, then that government is obliged to offer its resignation. If the no confidenceresolution concerns a certain member of the government, that member is obliged toresign their office.

Article 127: Dissolution of the Council of Representatives

The President of the Republic may not dissolve the Council of Representativesexcept by a causative decision and following a public referendum.

A Council of Representatives may not be dissolved during its first annual session, norfor the same cause for which the immediately previous Council of Representativeswas dissolved.

To dissolve the Council of Representatives, the President must issue a decision tosuspend parliamentary sessions and hold a referendum within 20 days. If voters agree by a valid majority on the dissolution, it is to be carried out. The President callsfor early parliamentary elections to take place within 30 days from the date of thedissolution. The new Council of Representatives convenes within the 10 daysfollowing the completion of elections.

If no such majority agrees to the dissolution, the President of the Republic resigns.

If, however, the referendum or elections do not take place within the specified timelimit, the existing Parliament reconvenes of its own accord on the day following theexpiry of the time limit.

Preamble

State and Society

Political Principles

Social and Ethical Principles

Economic Principles

Rights and Freedoms

Personal Rights

Moral and Political Rights

Economic and Social Rights

Guarantees for the Protection of Rights and Freedoms

Public Authorities

Legislative Authority