Since 30 June 2013, Egypt has lived exceptional circumstances, confronting serious challenges, topped with the threats of terrorism and unprecedented regional instability leading to the disintegration of several key Arab states. However, the new political leadership that took up authority 3 July 2013 was determined to overcome these challenges, to rebuild the Egyptian state that was torn apart by the inept and sectarian mindset of the Muslim Brotherhood. One of the key pillars of rebuilding the divided state was to approve a new constitution in January 2014, aimed mainly to replace the constitution that was unilaterally drafted by former president Mohamed Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood. Considering that the priority was to overcome the dramatic events that coincided with the ouster of the political Islamist group following massive popular demonstrations, and to give Egyptians confidence that their country was on the right track, the 2014 Constitution was drafted without lengthy discussion or debate. This resulted in a document that was not necessarily practical or matched the needs of the Egyptian people and what we have been going through over the past five years. Therefore, millions of Egyptians took part in the popular referendum held this week to cast their ballots on major constitutional amendments that will hopefully pave the way for more stability and strengthening democratic institutions in Egypt. After all, it's the people who should determine how they want to be governed. Considering what Egypt and the region has been through since 2011, the current political leadership has no illusions or misunderstanding that it can impose anything on the people of Egypt. In the period that preceded the vote, most of the banners that filled the streets of Cairo and other major cities were only calling upon the people to “do the right thing” and practise their right in expressing their view on the proposed amendments through the ballot box. Many Egyptians truly believe that eight years are not enough to allow President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi to carry out his ambitious plans to rebuild an efficient infrastructure that will help Egypt develop for many years to come. President Al-Sisi launched several key mega projects that he has been personally supervising, making sure all deadlines are met. Besides, the economic reform programme that Egypt started in late 2016 requires a firm commitment that we will remain on the same track so that the Egyptian people can benefit from these reforms, even though some of them were very tough and resulted in increases in prices. President Al-Sisi repeatedly thanked the Egyptian people for their understanding of the need for economic reform, despite the heavy price. Moreover, Egypt is not going to be a unique country in allowing a president, or a prime minister, to stay in office for two terms, each lasting six years. Some countries, with deeply rooted democracy, such as Germany, do not have limits on the number of times in which a prime minister can run for office. Thus, German Chancellor Angela Merkel has been occupying the same post for over 14 years now, since she was first elected in 2005. Indeed, she announced that she will not be running again in 2021 when her current term ends, but when that happens, she would be the longest serving German prime minister ever, with a total of 16 years in office. According to the amendments approved by parliament and voted on by the people of Egypt over three days, 20-22 April, no Egyptian president can stay in office more than two terms, six years each. Moreover, the amendments assured that the country will continue to have a strong legislative body, where women will have 25 per cent of the parliament's seats, for the first time ever in its history. The youth, Egyptian Christians, workers and peasants, people with disabilities and Egyptians living abroad will also enjoy a “suitable representation” in parliament. Equally important, none of the amendments infringed in any way on the basic freedoms guaranteed by the 2014 Constitution, the rule of law, or the independence of the judiciary. While some opposition voices expressed concern over new articles related to the judiciary, it must be highlighted that none of the associations representing judges voiced concern or stated that they opposed the changes. An open and public discussion was held inside parliament, and attended by dozens of judges, giving them enough time to freely express their views on the proposed amendments. Both the president and the parliament speaker, who is a judge himself, have confirmed the respect of the current regime for maintaining the independence of the judiciary. Constitutions are not holy books and are made by human beings and can be changed according to the needs of the people. And that is what the Egyptian people did by voting in large numbers over three days to determine their future in a fair and free process.
