THE Shura Council (the Upper House of Egypt's Parliament) amend the nation constituencies for the council's elections, after President Mubarak had ordered the creation of three new governorates last year. "The new law has stressed that there will still be 88 constituencies [the previous number]. However, some additions and omissions of areas were made toabsorb the new governorates," Safwat el- Sherif, the chief of the Shura Council, said. He added that President Mubarak and the People's Assembly (the Lower House of the Parliament) would be briefed on the new amendments to the constituencies. "Three new constituencies were set up in Luxor and 6th October governorates and 12 others were amended," el-Sherif added. Mufied Shehab, the Minister of Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, said that the demographical and geographical aspects were considered in the new amendments. “We were keen to keep the number of constituencies as it is,” Shehab said. The Shura Council was created in 1980 through a constitutional amendment. The Council is composed of 264 members of whom 174 members are directly elected and 88 are appointed by the President for six-year terms. Membership is rotating, with one half of the Council renewed every three years. The mid-term elections of the council will be held in June.
