The Egyptian House of Representatives, led by Counselor Hisham Badawi, is set to reconstitute the Values Committee at the start of the second legislative session, scheduled to begin before October 1. The committee, headed by the Chair of the Constitutional and Legislative Affairs Committee, will comprise 14 members. Its primary responsibility will be to propose disciplinary actions against members who violate parliamentary regulations.
The Values Committee is empowered by the House of Representatives' internal regulations to impose parliamentary disciplinary actions. According to Article 34 of the regulations, the committee can propose disciplinary measures, as outlined in Article 381, against members found guilty of misconduct. The committee's recommendations will be presented to the House of Representatives for review and decision.
The internal regulations of the House of Representatives outline specific disciplinary actions that can be taken against members who breach their responsibilities or engage in prohibited activities. Article 381 lists five possible disciplinary measures: censure, suspension from participating in parliamentary delegations for the duration of the legislative session, suspension from attending up to 10 sessions, suspension from attending more than 10 sessions but not exceeding the end of the legislative session, and expulsion from membership.
To impose certain disciplinary actions, a majority vote from the House of Representatives is required. For instance, suspensions from participating in parliamentary activities for more than 10 sessions require approval from the majority of members. However, expulsion from membership necessitates a two-thirds majority vote from the total number of members, as stipulated in the Constitution and laws.
The regulations also specify that members subject to disciplinary actions will not receive their parliamentary salaries during the period of suspension. If the member in question serves as a committee chair or office holder, they will be relieved of their duties upon imposition of the disciplinary action.
Article 382 of the internal regulations details specific instances where disciplinary actions can be imposed. These include instances of insulting the President, the House of Representatives, or its parliamentary bodies, as well as using violence against key government officials or members of parliament.
Furthermore, Article 383 outlines additional instances where severe disciplinary actions, including expulsion, can be imposed. These include threatening the President, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, or the Prime Minister to influence their decisions, and using violence to disrupt parliamentary proceedings or impede free expression of opinion.
Key points
- The Egyptian House of Representatives will reconstitute the Values Committee to oversee disciplinary actions against MPs.
- The committee can propose disciplinary measures, including censure, suspension, and expulsion.
- Specific instances of misconduct that warrant disciplinary actions are outlined in the internal regulations.
