Absence of elected municipal councils severely harms economy

ENTITIES RESPONSIBLE FOR PROVIDING EXPERIENCE OF FIRSTHAND POLITICAL PRACTICE

Although President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi instructed all concerned bodies to take serious steps to hold municipal council elections by the beginning of 2019, the bill is still on ice in the parliament. Over the last two years, the parliamentary committee of local governance have discussed five draft laws, eventually reaching the final version, awaiting the green light from concerned top officials in the country to issue it.

In fact, the absence of municipal councils harmed the Egyptian democratic process, as these entities are responsible for providing the experience of the firsthand political practice. On the other hand, it negatively impacted Egypt’s economy, depriving it of about 30% of the estimated national income.