Egypt's Prime Minister said Thursday that the government and political forces are getting close to seeing eye to eye on proposed amendments to laws regulating parliamentary elections after the poll was shelved last month due to legal obstacles.

PM Ibrahim Mahlab made his remarks following the first in a series of national dialogue meetings with political forces in an effort to find common ground over electoral laws that were criticised by several political parties before one of the legislations was successfully challenged by a court ruling last month.

Libyan Prime Minister Abdullah Thinni has a different analysis of the Libyan situation to that of the international community.

The members of the special electoral reform commission appointed by President Ashraf Ghani complain that the commission has only advisory role, having no authority to bring reform to the election system.

The deputy head of the commission Sediqullah Tawhidi stated on Wednesday that if necessary authorities are not given to the commission, reforming the election system will be "impossible."

"This is an advisory commission. When the suggestions are unlike to president's wish, they are rejected," Tawhidi said. "We can say this is a weak and advisory commission."

Igor Radojicic, a popular figure in the main Bosnian Serb party, the Alliance of Independent Social Democrats, SNSD, is close to resigning – or being kicked out – from the party, which could undermine the political stability of Republika Srpska, a party source told Balkan Insight.

Radojicic is a deputy in the Republika Srpska assembly, is the vice-president of SNSD and heads its Banja Luka branch – the biggest and most important party branch.

Le secrétaire général du parti de l'Istiqlal, Hamid Chabat, affirme que son parti est fin prêt pour les élections «même si elle devaient se tenir aujourd'hui». Et qu’il couvrira toutes les circonscriptions. 

Likud officials have estimated in recent days that among the three portfolios Bennett is likely to demand – defense, education, and religious affairs – his party will only receive one, in addition to two other portfolios that have yet to be determined.

Earlier this week, Habayit Hayehudi MK Ayelet Shaked suggested a law to be implemented by the next government. The bill would force any organization seeking tax exempt donations from foreign sources to receive approval from the Defense Minister, the Foreign Minister and the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee.

The Turkish Parliament on Friday overwhelmingly passed into law a security bill to broaden police powers and allow the use of firearms against demonstrators, deepening fears of crackdowns on dissent ahead of parliamentary elections.

According to the private Doğan news agency, the bill was approved with 199 votes for and 32 against after a 16 and a half hour parliamentary session. The 132-article security package passed into law with 69 articles, as the AK Party decided not to discuss 63 articles so as not to delay the approval of the bill any further.