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| Africa: North |
| Egyptian judges agree to supervise referendum |
| 2005-05-19 |
| Judges in Egypt's Council of State, which deals with administrative and public matters, have said they will oversee a referendum on a new law allowing for competitive presidential elections. The decision came after the government agreed to the financial demands of the judges, who have joined a growing opposition campaign in Egypt pressing for political reforms. The judges' syndicate said it had now authorized its members to supervise the May 25 referendum on a constitutional amendment allowing multiple candidates to stand in presidential elections for the first time. Under the terms of a deal that followed a meeting with Justice Minister Mahmoud Abu al-Leil, the government decided to increase the number of judges serving on the Council of State - which will supervise the referendum - from 330 to 1,100. The syndicate statement said Abu al-Leil had also agreed to grant judges a budget to be separate from the justice ministry, with a yearly allocation of one million pounds ($150,000). Land will also be designated to build rest houses to be used by judges when they go on mission outside the capital. |
| Posted by:Fred |