The Muslim Brotherhood has announced its refusal of the supra-constitutional principles document being prepared by various political forces prior to parliamentary elections. The document will be handed over to the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) for approval. In its weekly statement Wednesday, the Brotherhood emphasized its refusal of the idea, claiming that Egyptians have already drawn a road map to democracy when they voted in a 19 March referendum to hold parliamentary elections before drafting a new constitution. The statement said that it is unacceptable to circumvent the people's will and limit the powers of an elected constituent body by forcing on it constitutional principles. The statement added that the constitution should be created by representatives of the people, not those who believe they are the elite. Secular political forces have called to develop a document that contains these principles as a way of guaranteeing a civil state that respects the liberties of all its people. The Brotherhood statement continued that after elections, anyone will be able to submit suggestions to the parliament, which will have the right to accept or refuse them. The statement also criticized what it called attempts to pressure Prime Minister Essam Sharaf to include certain figures in the new cabinet. It stressed that not all those who have participated in protests or delivered a speech in Tahrir Squar were qualified to hold ministerial posts - a reference to Hazem Abdel Azim, a former candidate for the post of communications minister who was excluded from the cabinet over alleged business ties to Israel. Translated from the Arabic Edition
