CAIRO - Egypt extended for the second time the period to register for parliamentary elections after some political parties asked for more time to file their applications, the head of the High Election Commission (HEC) said. Abdel Mo'ez Ibrahim, the head of the committee, said in a statement that candidates could register until tomorrow. The deadline was first set for last Tuesday. "The extension of the registration period came in response to requests by political parties, which called on the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces for more time to prepare their lists," Ibrahim was quoted as saying. Egypt's first elections since the ouster of Hosni Mubarak is a crucial test of the SCAF and would be closely watched by the world. Registration has been slow so far, seemingly because coalitions have broken down at the last minute and some parties have had trouble raising funds. Elections for Egypt's bi-cameral parliament are due to start on November 28 for a three-stage vote for the upper and lower houses, whose main task would be to oversee the drafting of a new constitution. Candidates must apply, prove they have never committed a crime and pay a fee. The list of applicants will be announced one week after the final date of submissions, according to the measures announced by the HEC. Under rules agreed after Mubarak had been overthrown, two thirds of the lower house will be elected via party lists covering entire regions while the rest will be contested by individuals in smaller constituencies. Political parties have mushroomed since the uprising, with more than 50 in the race and many more being created. But analysts say the groups have struggled to build and maintain coalitions, some blaming ideological differences while others suggesting it was due to inexperience in running coalitions. Meanwhile, activists have launched a campaign to out ex-regime members involved in corruption from running in the polls. The new initiative called "Emsek Feloul" (Catch a remnant) hopes to keep the country's November parliamentary elections - the first since a popular uprising ended Mubarak's 30-year-rule in February - corruption free. As Egyptians prepare to navigate a complex new set of rules governing the polls, Emsek Feloul wants to keep at least one thing clear: corrupt former regime members should not be allowed to run for public office. With the help of groups involved in the uprising as well as political parties and independent political figures, Emsek Feloul has managed to track former party members across the country, in a bid to name and shame. "Our aim is to rid the country of corruption and fight it peacefully," said Sherif Diab, Emsek Feloul's founder. Activists have called for the implementation of a law that would exclude former regime members from politics for 10 years, but the law is still being studied by the country's new military rulers.
