By . Associated Press . PUBLISHED: . 10:24 EST, 14 June 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 11:49 EST, 14 June 2012 . Egypt's Supreme Court has ordered for the country's parliament to be dissolved after ruling that its election six months ago was unconstitutional. The country's top court said a third of the Islamist-dominated legislature was elected illegally and new elections will have to be held. In it's ruling, the court said that 'the makeup of the entire chamber is illegal and, consequently, it does not legally stand.' The Egyptian parliament has been ordered to be dissolved by the Supreme Court . There was a heavy military presence outside the court as judges announced that Ahmed Shafik could stand for presidential election run-off . The explanation was carried by Egypt's official news agency and confirmed to The Associated Press by one of the court's judges, Maher Sami Youssef. The ruling means that new elections for the entire parliament will have to be held. The law governing the parliamentary elections, held over a three-month period starting in November, was ruled unconstitutional by a lower court because it breached the principle of equality when it allowed party members to contest a third of seats set aside for independents. The remaining two thirds were contested by party slates. Hosni Mubarak's health has continued to decline since the former dictator was sentenced more than two weeks ago. Whe was jailed for life for failing to stop the killing of hundreds of demonstrators as his regime crumbled around him during last year's Arab Spring. Security officials said Mubarak's two sons, one-time heir apparent Gamal and wealthy businessman Alaa, were by his side at the intensive care ward of Torah prison hospital, south of Cairo. Mubarak ruled Egypt for almost 30 years, but his authoritarian regime was overthrown in February last year after tens of thousands of protesters demonstrated in Cairo's Tahrir Square and elsewhere. Demonstrators returned to the square last week after Mubarak was jailed for life but cleared of corruption. In a separate ruling, the court said Hosni Mubarak's last prime minister, Ahmed Shafiq, could stay in the presidential race, rejecting a law passed by parliament last month that barred prominent figures from the old regime from running for office. Shafiq will go head-to-head on Saturday and Sunday in a runoff against Mohammed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood, the country's strongest political group. The ruling said the legislation was . not based on 'objective grounds' and 'constitutes a violation of the . principle of equality,' leading to discrimination on 'illogical . grounds.' The Brotherhood . stands to lose the most by the rulings since it controls just under half . of all seats in the legislature and is likely not to do as well in the . next election. Its . popularity has declined since the legislative election over its failure . to translate its parliamentary domination into real political power and . its perception as a power hungry group more preoccupied with its own . interests than national ones. The . legal wrangling adds to the suspense around an election that is . supposed to seal a transition to democracy after Mubarak was toppled in . an Arab Spring uprising last year, but has laid bare deep divisions over . how Egypt should be governed. The ruling means that new elections for the entire parliament will have to be held, six months after the first vote . Ahmed Shafiq, former prime minister under Hosni Mubarak, is a presidential candidate for the elections . The . law denying political rights to Mubarak's officials had prompted a . state election committee to disqualify Shafik from the presidential . race, but he was let back in on appeal, pending the court ruling. The . drama is emblematic of the tortuous and messy transition overseen by a . council of generals since Mubarak was ousted 16 months ago. A first-round presidential vote last . month pushed more moderate candidates out of the race and the choice now . facing 50 million eligible voters reflects a society torn between . desire for change after six decades of military rule and anxiety over . the damage wrought on Egypt by the subsequent political chaos. Unrest . has simmered on the streets of Egypt's cities throughout the period of . military rule, with opponents of the army calling for the removal of . 'feloul', or Mubarak-era remnants, from politics. The demand is far from . unanimous. 'Shafik is a . respectable man. We want him as president because we are not ready for . Egypt to return to the Dark Ages,' said Shafik supporter Sawsan Ali . Abdo. 'There is no such . thing as 'feloul'. We are all Egyptians. No to the plot seeking to . divide Egypt,' read one banner in the capital. Across the street, Shafik campaign posters were spray-painted red to obscure his face. It was deemed unconstitutional because it breached the principle of equality . Shafiq will go head-to-head on Saturday and Sunday in a runoff against Mohammed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood, the country's strongest political group . Hosni Mubarak, pictured as he was sentenced, was toppled in an Arab Spring uprising last year . Protests held in Cairo's Tahrir Square have become commonplace since the uprising last year .
Ruling by country's top court means new elections will have to be held .
Separate ruling allows Mubarak's former PM to stand for presidential election .
Heavy police and military presence outside court for today's ruling .
By . Associated Press . PUBLISHED: . 10:24 EST, 14 June 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 11:49 EST, 14 June 2012 . Egypt's Supreme Court has ordered for the country's parliament to be dissolved after ruling that its election six months ago was unconstitutional. The country's top court said a third of the Islamist-dominated legislature was elected illegally and new elections will have to be held. In it's ruling, the court said that 'the makeup of the entire chamber is illegal and, consequently, it does not legally stand.' The Egyptian parliament has been ordered to be dissolved by the Supreme Court . There was a heavy military presence outside the court as judges announced that Ahmed Shafik could stand for presidential election run-off . The explanation was carried by Egypt's official news agency and confirmed to The Associated Press by one of the court's judges, Maher Sami Youssef. The ruling means that new elections for the entire parliament will have to be held. The law governing the parliamentary elections, held over a three-month period starting in November, was ruled unconstitutional by a lower court because it breached the principle of equality when it allowed party members to contest a third of seats set aside for independents. The remaining two thirds were contested by party slates. Hosni Mubarak's health has continued to decline since the former dictator was sentenced more than two weeks ago. Whe was jailed for life for failing to stop the killing of hundreds of demonstrators as his regime crumbled around him during last year's Arab Spring. Security officials said Mubarak's two sons, one-time heir apparent Gamal and wealthy businessman Alaa, were by his side at the intensive care ward of Torah prison hospital, south of Cairo. Mubarak ruled Egypt for almost 30 years, but his authoritarian regime was overthrown in February last year after tens of thousands of protesters demonstrated in Cairo's Tahrir Square and elsewhere. Demonstrators returned to the square last week after Mubarak was jailed for life but cleared of corruption. In a separate ruling, the court said Hosni Mubarak's last prime minister, Ahmed Shafiq, could stay in the presidential race, rejecting a law passed by parliament last month that barred prominent figures from the old regime from running for office. Shafiq will go head-to-head on Saturday and Sunday in a runoff against Mohammed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood, the country's strongest political group. The ruling said the legislation was . not based on 'objective grounds' and 'constitutes a violation of the . principle of equality,' leading to discrimination on 'illogical . grounds.' The Brotherhood . stands to lose the most by the rulings since it controls just under half . of all seats in the legislature and is likely not to do as well in the . next election. Its . popularity has declined since the legislative election over its failure . to translate its parliamentary domination into real political power and . its perception as a power hungry group more preoccupied with its own . interests than national ones. The . legal wrangling adds to the suspense around an election that is . supposed to seal a transition to democracy after Mubarak was toppled in . an Arab Spring uprising last year, but has laid bare deep divisions over . how Egypt should be governed. The ruling means that new elections for the entire parliament will have to be held, six months after the first vote . Ahmed Shafiq, former prime minister under Hosni Mubarak, is a presidential candidate for the elections . The . law denying political rights to Mubarak's officials had prompted a . state election committee to disqualify Shafik from the presidential . race, but he was let back in on appeal, pending the court ruling. The . drama is emblematic of the tortuous and messy transition overseen by a . council of generals since Mubarak was ousted 16 months ago. A first-round presidential vote last . month pushed more moderate candidates out of the race and the choice now . facing 50 million eligible voters reflects a society torn between . desire for change after six decades of military rule and anxiety over . the damage wrought on Egypt by the subsequent political chaos. Unrest . has simmered on the streets of Egypt's cities throughout the period of . military rule, with opponents of the army calling for the removal of . 'feloul', or Mubarak-era remnants, from politics. The demand is far from . unanimous. 'Shafik is a . respectable man. We want him as president because we are not ready for . Egypt to return to the Dark Ages,' said Shafik supporter Sawsan Ali . Abdo. 'There is no such . thing as 'feloul'. We are all Egyptians. No to the plot seeking to . divide Egypt,' read one banner in the capital. Across the street, Shafik campaign posters were spray-painted red to obscure his face. It was deemed unconstitutional because it breached the principle of equality . Shafiq will go head-to-head on Saturday and Sunday in a runoff against Mohammed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood, the country's strongest political group . Hosni Mubarak, pictured as he was sentenced, was toppled in an Arab Spring uprising last year . Protests held in Cairo's Tahrir Square have become commonplace since the uprising last year .
unconstitutional. The country's top court said a elected illegally and new elections will have to heavy military presence outside the court as for presidential election run-off . The The ruling means that new elections for the entire parliament will have to be held, six