CAIRO: Amr Moussa has announced he will vote ‘no' in Egypt's referendum on constitutional amendments scheduled for Saturday. The Secretary General of the Arab League also recently announced he will contest Egypt's next presidential election. Moussa encouraged all Egyptian citizens to participate in the vote. Moussa renewed his rejection of the proposed amendments before a meeting with Canadian Foreign Minister Lawrence Cannon in Wednesday, reported state news agency MENA. Moussa stressed that a temporary constitutional declaration is the best choice during the interim period, so that Egyptians can elect their president first then elect a committee for writing a new constitution that would fulfill the demands of Egyptians. The new president would form a committee elected by Egyptians, and then parliamentary elections should be held according to the new constitution provisions, he added. Moussa also suggested that the next president should stay in power for only one term in order to achieve the demands of the revolution and help to establish democracy in Egypt. Other opposition forces have also called for the next president to serve only one term, or alternately for a two-year interim presidency. Other prominent opposition figures have also expressed their disapproval of the amendments. Among them are human rights activists, judges, constitutional scholars, and opposition parties, figures, and movements, including al-Wafd, al-Tagammua, al-Ghad, and Democratic Front parties. Only the formerly ruling National Democratic Party, the Muslim Brotherhood and Salafis have voiced approval and encouraged their supporters to vote in favor of the amendments. BM
