Judges in Egypt have refused to supervise forthcoming presidential and parliamentary elections in the African state unless the government adopts legislation to ensure judicial independence.
The judiciary also want guarantees that they will be able to oversee all stages of the elections due in September from the preparation of voters' lists to the announcement of results.
Judges complained that they were restricted in previous votes to just the casting of ballots and claimed that previous elections had been rigged.
The Egyptian President, Hosny Mubarak, is seeking a fifth term in office and will for the first time face an opponent in the race for president.
