61 deals, 6 presidential decrees OK’d by parliament in 2nd round

CAIRO – 15 July 2017: A monitoring reported issued by the Ministry of the Council of Representative Affairs highlighted that over nine months the House of Representatives (parliament) has approved a total 61 deals and six presidential decrees.

The parliament’s second session of the five-year legislative term concluded on July 5, as per Article No. 115 of the 2014 Constitution.

The international accords that were passed during the second round increased to 61 deals, compared to the 27 accords of the first session, the report said.

A three-year $12 billion loan with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) was the most vital deal approved by the parliament in March 2017.

In November 2016, however, Egypt received the first funding installment, $2.75 billion, of the loan approved in favor of Egypt.

In a June 14 general assembly of Parliament, nearly 400 parliamentarians voted in favor of the transfer of the islands of Tiran and Sanafir to Saudi Arabia. The decision came after five committee sessions, beginning on Sunday, June 11, and leading up to the general vote.

Parliament has approved two economic and technical cooperation deals with Djibouti on December 26, 2016.

It also ratified a €115 million ($125 million) agreement signed with the European Investment Bank (EIB) to finance a wind farm project in Gulf of Suez beginning on November 23, 2017.

In May 2017, Parliament passed an agreement signed with the Italian Development Cooperation, in cooperation with The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), to finance the restoration of the Cairo Museum of Islamic Arts for €800,000 ($917,190).

In July, Parliament approved joining an international agreement on protecting underwater archaeology that was initially ratified in November 2001 in Paris.

Meanwhile, in December 2016, Parliament approved the African Development Bank agreement to finance the Construction of the Desalination of Sea Water Plant Project for eastern Port Said.

The African Development Bank was also approved to finance the development of informal settlements in Egypt, signed on February 12, 2017.

On July 5, 2017, Parliament ratified an agreement that would allow the French Development Agency to finance the construction of a wastewater treatment plant in Alexandria, totaling €50 million.

On March 27, 2017, Parliament passed an Energy Sector Support Project agreement signed with the French Development Agency (FDA) on, with a total cost of €174 million. Also, it ratified two additional agreements worth €3 million in aid from FDA.

On July 5, 2017, the parliament approved a technical and financial cooperation MOU with the United Arab Emirates. The following day legislation was passed by parliament that allows the government to regulate the registration of property rights through the state.

Presidential decrees

Following a series of bloody attacks on Coptic churches in Tanta and Alexandria during Palm Sunday services, which left at least 45 killed and hundreds injured, Parliament ratified President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi's decree to declare a state of emergency on April 10, 2017.

Another decree extending the state of emergency across the country for 3 months, starting July 10, has been approved.

A third decree that extends the state of emergency to some cities in North Sinai was approved for renewal in January 2017.

Two separate presidential decrees on the state-run Egyptian Radio and Television Union (ERTU)’s general budgets for the fiscal year 2014/15 and 2015/16 were approved.

Throughout 68 sessions, the House of Representatives’ second session approved a total of 217 laws on social, economic and security affairs, according to a report published on the parliament’s official website on July 6.

The number of laws approved during the second session was higher than the first round, approving 82 of the bills proposed by parliamentarians, the report said.