Egypt's new parliament convenes after the last one dissolved 3 years ago

Egypt's new long-awaited parliament convened its opening session on Sunday after the last one dissolved over three years ago, state television reported.

The inaugural session will be mainly procedural for the election of a speaker and two deputies.

The recently-elected new parliament is considered the third and final phase of the country's three-step future roadmap to democracy announced by the military on the ouster of former Islamist President Mohamed Morsi in early July 2013.

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

President Sisi held the legislative authority until the election of the new parliament.

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

Article 156 of Egypt's constitution states that all the bills issued by the president must be reviewed and approved by the new parliament within 15 days of its first assembly. If not, the power of their previous legal effect will automatically be dropped.

Sayyid Abdel-Aal, a leftist party leader, said told Xinhua in a recent interview that several laws that were enacted during the vacancy of a legislature by Sisi, like the anti-terrorism law, the anti-protest law and the law of civil society organizations, will have to be reviewed in accordance with the constitution. Endit