two best known and oldest parties — the secular, liberal Wafd and the Islamist, Muslim Brotherhood — still lead in the race for Egypt's parliament, the People's Assembly. The Wafd is favorably viewed by 40% and the Muslim Brotherhood's by 31%. The New National Party, successor to former president Hosni Mubarak's Nati

ry 2012 election). However, Article 230 of the new Egyptian constitution has endowed the Council with full (but temporary) legislative powers until the People's Assembly (lower house) is elected. The Morsi government has taken advantage of this by putting forward a series of laws on sensitive issues—most crucially, a

between Mekki and the HCC's board of judges erupted last week. The justice minister sharply criticised the HCC's 15 June ruling which invalidated the People's Assembly (Egypt's lower house of parliament). According to Mekki, "the ruling was politicised and showed that judges of the court are still involved in poli