The Shūrá Council in the Egyptian Parliament has made changes in the membership and leadership of the National Council for Human Rights. Muqbil Shākir has replaced Ahmad Kamāl Abū al-Majd in the position of the Council’s vice president. Eight other new members joined the Council and others left. Observers bemoaned the exclusion of Abū al-Majd, whose independence was widely praised by observers. Following the new changes, the Council has more experts and specialists in legal and legislative issues. Opponents to the changes claimed that the changes were to serve the government’s plans in the coming legislative elections.