CAIRO: Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, Chairman of the Egyptian Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, has met with members of the SCAF's advisory council, to discuss recent political developments. On the same day, Tantawi also met with the representatives of 19 political parties and several independent MPs. At the meeting, the advisory council proposed drafting a new constitutional declaration including new criteria for choosing members of the constituent assembly, which better represents all sectors of the Egyptian society. Most importantly, Tantawi told the meeting that he wants the new constitution drafted before the SCAF hands over power to a new administration on June 30th. On the same day, Tantawi also met with representatives from 19 different political parties, which included El-Wafd Party , the Freedom and Justice Party , along with several political figures and independent MPs such as Ayman Nour, Mohamed Abdel Moneim El-Sawy, Marian Malak and Mostafa Bakry. In a press release held after the meeting, Sayed El-Badawy, chairman of El-Wafd party, declared that an emergency meeting will be held, involving the chiefs of all the parliament's political parties and independent MPs, in order to agree on a new format to choose the constituent assembly. Moreover, another meeting between the SCAF and the political parties' heads will be held next week, to initiate the process of electing the assembly members. According to El-Badawy, all parties which are represented in the parliament were present in Sunday's meeting, except Tagammu Party and the Egyptian Social Democratic Party.
