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The Egyptian prime minister’s advisor Refaat Qomsan announced on Wednesday that 81 domestic and six international NGOs will be allowed to observe the upcoming parliamentary elections being held between 17 October and 2 December over two stages.

Ten of Egypt’s ministers will be participating in the preparation and elections processes, among other tasks, Refaat said according to Al-Ahram Arabic news website.

Seven electoral alliances are running in the first stage of the parliamentary elections slated for 18-19 October, the High Elections Committee (HEC) announced in a statement on Saturday.

There are four lists contesting 15 seats in the West Delta, which are the Salafist Nour Party, Fi Hob Misr list (for the Love of Egypt), Forsan Misr (The Knights of Egypt) and the combined electoral list of the Egyptian Front and the Independence Current.

The High Elections Committee announced on Tuesday that 2573 independent candidates and four party-based lists will be running for the first stage of the Egyptian parliamentary elections that start on 17 October.

The 2573 candidates will contest 226 seats in the ‎first stage, and the four lists will be competing for over 60 seats ‎bringing the total to 286 seats available during the first phase of the elections.

Egypt's High Election Committee (HEC) announced on Wednesday the acceptance of 5420 individual candidates and nine winner-takes-all party/coalition lists for the upcoming parliamentary elections due to take place in October and November, Al-Ahram Arabic news website reported.

There will be 596 seats in parliament, with 448 of them (75%) elected through the individual candidacy system, 120 (20%) through winner-takes-all party/coalition lists, and 28 (5%) selected by President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi.

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi accepted on Saturday the resignation of the cabinet of Prime Minister Ibrahim Mahlab, MENA state news agency reported.

The cabinet had met earlier on Saturday and decided to submit their resignation to the president, according to Al-Ahram Arabic news website.

The president reportedly ordered the cabinet to continue carrying out their current responsibilities until a new cabinet is formed, and asked Petroleum Minister Sherif Ismail to become prime minister and form a new cabinet.

The High Elections Committee (HEC) announced on Wednesday that it will redraw the boundaries of two electoral constituencies, one in Cairo and one in the Upper Egypt governorate of Qena, in accordance with an Administrative Court ruling issued on Monday.

On Monday, the Administrative Court ruled that the cabinet must redraw two constituency boundaries due to administrative errors committed.

Egypt's centre-left Constitution Party is set to participate in the upcoming parliamentary elections, member of the high board Khaled Dawoud told Ahram Online.

Dawoud said that the party’s secretary general Tamer Gomaa held a vote among the party members in which the majority voted ‘yes’ to participation in the upcoming elections.

A Sohag criminal court convicted and sentenced on Thursday 25 Morsi supporters to life in prison on multiple counts of murder and the arson of a church in 2013 following the violent dispersal of the pro-Morsi sit-ins in Nahda and Rabaa squares by security forces.

The court also sentenced 67 defendants in the same case to 15 years in prison while 27 others received ten-year sentences, all of which can be appealed.

The defendants were found guilty on a number of charges, including the torching of Mar Gerges Church in Upper Egypt’s Sohag governorate. 

An estimated 2745 hopefuls aiming to run in Egypt's parliamentary elections have submitted their papers on Tuesday, the first day of registration, Egypt's Higher Elections Committee (HEC) announced on Wednesday.

Candidates wishing to run in the upcoming parliamentary elections, whose first stage is set to begin 17 October, can register between 1 and 12 of September.