President Mohamed Morsy signed off on Friday a list of appointments of 90 public figures to the Shura Council, the upper house of parliament, the state news agency MENA reported. Al-Masry Al-Youm learned that the list includes members of 17 political parties, representatives from Al-Azhar and three churches, as well as tribal sheikhs from Sinai, artists and athletes. Independent political and judicial figures, and trade unionists are also represented in the list. Sources told Al-Masry Al-Youm that 75 percent of the list represent non Islamist figures. Meanwhile, Salafi Nour Party spokesperson Nader Bakkar denied that he was appointed, while activist Gameela Ismail said she declined the appointment. Al-Ahram state-run website reported that the Muslim Brotherhood's Essam al-Erian is among the appointees. If the current constitutional draft passes through the referendum, the second phase of which will be held on Saturday, the Shura Council will be handed over the power of legislation until parliament is elected. The lower house of parliament was dissolved earlier by a court ruling, when the Supreme Constitutional Court found that the law governing the house's elections unconstitutional. With the appointments, the Shura Council will be composed of 279 members, a third of whom are appointed by the president. The Shura Council is currently controlled by Islamists. In February 180 members were elected, while the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces declined to appoint the remaining 90 members during the transitional period before Morsy took office. Morsy pledged that the Shura Council appointments will be representative of all political forces, as a means to put an end to the on-going deadlock between Islamist forces and their opposition over the constitutional draft.
