Egypt's Sisi appoints 28 members of parliament

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi issued Thursday a presidential decree to appoint 28 legislators to the country's newly elected parliament, state-run Ahram online reported.

President Sisi also called on the parliament to convene for the first time on Jan. 10, 2016, said the report.

According to Egypt's 2014 constitution, the president has the right to appoint 28 public figures as parliamentarians, at least half of which must be women.

The appointees must not be members of one political faction, and they must have performed outstandingly in their professions.

About 28 percent of the country's 53 million eligible voters participated in the first parliamentary election since the army-led ouster of former President Mohamed Morsi in 2013.

Elections in the most populous Arab country were held in two stages starting from October until December.

The new parliament now consists of 596 seats, 448 of which are for individuals, 120 for winners from party-based lists and 28 who are appointed by the president.

Egypt has been without a parliament for about three years, as the last one elected in late 2011, months after the ouster of long-time leader Hosni Mubarak, was dissolved in June 2012 by a court order.

President Sisi has been holding the legislative authority until the election of a new parliament, the third and final phase of the country's future roadmap to democracy.

The first and second steps are approving a new constitution and electing a new president. Endit