Egyptian cabinet approves law to ban Mubarak's loyalists from politics

The Egyptian cabinet approved amendments to a new law depriving senior members of the former president Hosni Mubarak's party from running in parliamentary elections, Egyptian Gazette newspaper reported Wednesday. The new legislation, called "Treason Law", will prevent the dismantled National Democratic Party members from joining political parties, running in local council elections and assuming leadership positions in state-owned institutions for the next five years, the paper quoted Minister of Justice Mohamed el-Guindy as saying. The National Democratic Party was disbanded after the fall of Mubarak regime in February. Egyptian activists had been calling for the application of a new law that aimed at preventing its members from politics. However, the law, which needs the final approval of military rulers, has angered members of the former ruling party, who described it as a bid to violate their essential human right of running in elections, according to the paper. Egypt is set to begin the voting of parliamentary elections on Nov. 28.