Upcoming elections for Egypt's House of Representatives will almost certainly yield another lower legislative chamber that strongly supports President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi's priorities, including fiscal consolidation and potential efforts to extend his term. Next month, Egyptians will start casting ballots for all 568 elected seats in the House of Representatives, the lower chamber of the country's parliament. The first round will be held Nov. 10-11, followed by the second round on Dec. 3-4. Per Egypt's constitution, the House of Representatives has the authority to draft laws, approve the annual budget and oversee the executive branch. In practice, however, it has provided almost no checks and balances to the executive due to the overwhelming dominance of parties aligned with President al-Sisi; of the body's 596 elected seats, 448 are currently held by pro-government lawmakers, while independents hold 124 seats and opposition parties hold only 24. The upcoming elections are unlikely to...
