Egypt Parliament Holds First Session

The new legislature was elected in balloting staggered over six weeks beginning Nov. 28. Islamists led by the Muslim Brotherhood, the largest and most disciplined political group in the nation of 85 million people, won about 70 percent of the parliament's 508 seats.

The chamber's top priority will be to elect a 100-member panel to draft a new constitution, which will have to be put to a vote in a referendum. The next major step in the transition will be a presidential election, scheduled to be held before the end of June, when the generals who took over from Mubarak are due to step down.


Mohammed Saad al-Katatni( from the Muslim Brotherhood, the Islamist movement whose Freedom and Justice Party won recent elections) was chosen by a large majority of MPs at the inaugural session of the lower chamber, the People's Assembly.Mr Katatni was backed by 399 out of 503 MPs

It was a raucous beginning Monday Jan 23,2012 for Egypt's first democratically elected parliament in 60 years.

Islamist lawmakers added religious references to the oath of office.

 Liberal lawmakers improvised too, adding a pledge to protect the "revolution" that ousted Hosni Mubarak.

 Some wore scarves with words protesting military trials for civilians. 

Shouting matches erupted. 

Hundreds massed outside, calling on the ruling generals to step down.

And millions of Egyptians watched it all unfold live on TV.