Egyptian reformist Mohamed ElBaradei on Sunday rejected recently proposed amendments to the Egyptian Constitution, demanding wholesale changes to the Constitution prior to impending parliamentary and presidential elections. "Even with the amendments, the elections will be held under the old Constitution with all its defects," ElBaradei said on his Facebook page. A committee of experts last week proposed constitutional modifications, such as shortening the presidential tenure to two terms for a period of four years each and placing restrictions on emergency law. The reform measures, however, failed to address the vast powers entrusted in the presidency since the implementation of the 1971 constitution. The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, which has ruled the country since the toppling of President Hosni Mubarak on 11 February, tasked a committee of ten experts to introduce constitutional amendments that will pave the way for free and fair presidential and parliamentary polls. The council on Friday designated 19 March as the date for a nationwide referendum on the proposed amendments. After polls are held and the transitional period concludes, the army has vowed to hand over power to the newly-elected civilian government.
