Parliament member Salah Hasballah, newly appointed spokesperson for the Egyptian Parliament, reviewed during a press conference on Tuesday the achievements of parliament during the third legislative term that is expected to end soon. Parliament approved several bills and agreements throughout the past seven-month third term that began in October. A total of 111 laws were approved during the third term, including legislation for comprehensive health insurance, persons with disabilities, trade unions and labour unions, as well as other laws for the electricity sector and consumer and antiquities protection. The number of laws approved during the third term was fewer than the second, during which parliament approved 217 of the bills proposed by lawmakers and the government. The first term witnessed a low rate of bills passed, as only 82 were approved. Also, 32 international agreements were approved, including some related to loans and grants in the service activities of health, education, and environment. Around 385 requests for briefing were discussed and 303 urgent statements were released since the beginning of the current session and 45 questions were raised to the government. Parliament further discussed 342 presidential decrees. For the remaining months of the third term, a number of laws will be passed, including for organising the press and media, local administration, labour, tenders, and rent, in addition to the criminal procedures law that will include amendments to 400 articles out of 600, implying that there will be a new law for criminal procedures for the first time in Egypt since the 1950s. Parliament's second nine-month round concluded on 5 July. As per article 115 of the 2014 constitution, the Egyptian Parliament is to continue its session for at least nine months and could be extended. The first round of parliament began on 13 January 2015 and included 596 members, convening after three years without a House of Representatives, and for the first time during President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi's presidency.
