Egypt- Committee submits election dates to military for approval 

(MENAFN - Youm7) Egypt's electoral commission has submitted tentative parliamentary election dates to the country's ruling military council for approval, the commission announced tonight.

The commission suggests holding elections for the People's Assembly, the lower house of parliament, on November 21, and elections for the upper house, the Shura Council, two months later on January 22.

No date has been suggested for the presidential election, although it is expected to follow parliamentary elections.

The elections will be Egypt's first since a popular uprising ousted 30-year President Hosni Mubarak and his regime seven months ago.

There has been much debate over the timing of elections and whether parliamentary or presidential elections should be held first and where the writing of a new constitution should fit into that timetable.

Many Egyptians hope the upcoming elections will mark the beginning of a new, transparent era for Egyptian politics. Last year's parliamentary elections were considered the most blatantly fraudulent in recent history, with the then-ruling National Democratic Party essentially winning over 90 percent of the parliament.

However, political and civil rights groups have expressed concerns over the lack of a clear and detailed electoral law for the parliamentary elections.