CAIRO — Some members of Egypt's parliament are lobbying — once again — for the return to a bicameral legislature by reinstating the Shura Council, which was the structure under former President Hosni Mubarak.

The Shura Council's experts were tasked with discussing draft laws and the state general budget. After having been dissolved by interim President Adly Mansour in 2013, the body was permanently abolished when a committee drafting the 2014 Egyptian Constitution determined the number of parliament members was becoming a financial burden on the state. Committee members also said the bureaucracy and red tape involved in continuing to have two houses could hinder the promulgation of laws.

However, some parliament members now believe the Shura Council actually helped improve the process by which bills were approved, allowing them to be thoroughly considered.

Hamada Gulab, a member of parliament's Constitutional and Legislation Affairs Committee, has called for reinstating the Shura Council. Gulab told Al-Monitor that bringing back the council wouldn't cost the Egyptian state anything beyond spending on elections for council members. He pointed out that all the administrative staffers who were working for the council when it was dissolved were moved over to become employees of parliament, where he said they aren't needed.