The April 6 Youth Movement on Wednesday rejected the government's draft constitutional principles document, saying it gives far-reaching powers to the military. During his meeting with several political powers on Tuesday, Deputy Prime Minister Ali al-Selmy proposed a draft constitutional principles document as well as criteria for electing members of the constituent assembly which will be tasked with writing a new constitution. The document proposes that a 100-member constituent assembly be comprised of 80 non-parliamentary members and 20 members from political parties represented in parliament, with a maximum of five members from each party. The draft also calls for the establishment of a national defense council to be headed by the president. This council would examine national security measures and be responsible for approving all legislation related to the military. The document also exclusively grants the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) the right to examine military affairs, including the armed forces budget. Military budget allocations would be listed as the first item in the national budget without detailed figures on proposed expenditures, the document suggests. "Principles that lead the armed forces to control the state and escape accountability are totally rejected," Injy Hamdy, a spokesperson for the April 6 Youth Movement, said in a statement released Wednesday. Hamdy criticized the document, calling the broad powers it grants to the SCAF a farce. The movement also said the nation should be allowed to monitor the military's budget.
