Egypt's administrative regime has not witnessed, throughout its history, such changes and amendments in its governing laws, starting from Law No. 22 for the year 1902 and until the current Law No. 43 for the year 1979 and its several amendments which made it incompatible with the contemporary requirements.

Decentralization started in Egypt for the first time with the issuance of Law No. 22 for the year 1902 which gave legal personality for municipalities set up as branches of central administration according to the first constitution of May 1883. In 1918, organization of rural and municipal councils were set, the situation changed after the issuance of Law No. 24 for the year 1934, known as law of municipalities and Law No. 68 for the year 1936 that regulated the electoral process of members of municipality councils. In the year 1944, Law No. 145 was issued which obliterated discrimination between rural and municipal councils.

Following the July 23 Revolution, the 1956 provisional constitution stated the law of the local councils by Law No. 6 for the year 1956. Besides, Law No. 124 for the year 1960 was changed by several amendments in May 1962 that laid bases of local administration. Amendments continued until the 1971 constitution was launched which included several principles ignored by previous legislation regarding the local government.

It has been noticed that these several amendments revealed that the laws concerned with local administration were issued hastily and without proper study, which must be presently avoided.

Ali Shaykhoon
Al Ahram
13/1/2007