Egyptian cabinet discusses modification of electoral law

The Egyptian cabinet Friday studied the modification of an article of the electoral law issued by the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) earlier this week for the coming parliamentary elections, official Nile TV channel reported. A wave of anger is growing among many political groups because the electoral law allows two-thirds of the parliamentary seats for political parties and one-third for independents, which the groups say will allow officials in the previous regime to run for seats in the new parliament. The electoral law initially stipulated that half of the parliamentarians should be elected through a party-list system while the other half from independents. Amid strong criticism from some political groups, the law has recently been amended. Some political groups planned a "million-people demonstration" in Egypt after the Friday prayer to press the ruling military council to reconsider the electoral law and end the emergency state. Egypt is scheduled to start the voting of the parliamentary elections on Nov. 28.