Egypt court overturns poll ban on Mubarak officials

CAIRO - Agence France-Presse

An Egyptian court on Monday overturned a ruling that had banned senior members of ousted dictator Hosni Mubarak's party from contesting upcoming parliamentary elections, a judicial source said.
      
Although dissolved in 2011, shortly after Mubarak's overthrow in a popular uprising, some former National Democratic Party members are now expected to do well in the upcoming elections expected in the autumn.
      
The appeals court on Monday did not immediately provide reasons for overturning the May ruling, but another court had in the past ruled such bans to be unconstitutional.
      
The NDP dominated parliamentary elections during Mubarak's three-decade rule, often by vote-rigging.
      
In the tribal south, the party often recruited parliamentarians from large clans who can still muster support.
      
Another court has also banned members of the now blacklisted Muslim Brotherhood, the movement of ousted president Mohamed Morsi, from standing in elections.         The Brotherhood has been designated a "terrorist group" since the military overthrew Morsi in July last year.