A number of recently elected Islamist and liberal MPs are meeting to reach an initial agreement on the basic principles of the country's new constitution, said Mostafa al-Naggar (Adl Party, Nasr City). The meetings will tackle the position of Egypt's military in the upcoming constitution, as well as the parliamentary quota for workers and farmers. "The dispute over the new constitution is not genuine. If Islamists and liberals exhibit goodwill, drafting the constitution will be implemented easily," Naggar told Al-Masry Al-Youm. Some observers believe a political crisis could erupt between the ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) and the new parliament over the military's position in the new constitution. SCAF members vehemently reject politicians' calls to subject the army's budget to public parliamentary discussions. Naggar said the biggest hurdle to consensus over the constitution is the lack of confidence in the relationship between Islamists and liberals. He said dialogue between both camps will reveal that the differences are not so deep, adding that both agree on constitutional stipulations regarding freedoms and the legitimacy derived from protests in Tahrir Square after the parliament is elected. "The parliament reflects the choice of Egyptians and possesses supreme legitimacy. Yet popular protesting is an important tool, and we must have both in order to fully achieve the goals of the January revolution and restore stability to the country," Naggar said. "We should not be haunted by fears of the Islamist majority in parliament or their possible dominance in drafting the constitution," MP and liberal political expert Amr al-Shobaky told Al-Masry Al-Youm. “We should all gather behind a constitution that represents all political and social sects and overcome our fears," Shobaky said. Translated from Al-Masry Al-Youm
