CAIRO: The Parliamentary Committee on Legislative and Constitutional Affairs of the People`s Assembly approved on Tuesday, during its session, in principle, a draft law banning figures of the former regime of Hosni Mubarak, from running in presidential elections. The draft bill was proposed by MP Essam Sultan of Al Wasat Party, following the announcement of the former Intelligence Chief Omar Suleiman`s Presidential bid. Under the bill, proposed by Essam Sultan, an amendemnet will be added to article 3 of the Decree-Law No. 131 of 2011, which stipulates that any of those who served senior positions during the past five years preceding Mubarak`s ouster, on February 11, 2011, either in the presidency, or the government or was a member of the People's Assembly and Shura Council as a representative of the National Democratic Party or appointed by Mubarak, may not be able to run for presidential elections, or to serve as vice-president or prime minister or a minister for ten years counted from the date of Mubarak`s resignation. Talat Marzouk, Chairman of the Parliamentary`s Proposals and Complaints Committee, said that in the case of approval of the draft law of parliament, it will need to be ratified by the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces in order to take effect, and MP Mustafa Bakri criticized bill, and said that it is designed to target and exclude only one person from the presidential race, referring to Omar Suleiman, though this method is a repeat of the methods of the National Democratic Party.
