Egypt's FM highlights 'soft power' in Mali meeting with alumni    Egypt's foreign minister opens business forum in Niger, targets new partnerships    Egypt's FM delivers Al-Sisi message to Niger's leader, seeks deeper security ties    Rafah Crossing 'never been closed for one day' from Egypt: PM    Egypt will keep pushing for Gaza peace, aid: PM    Remittances from Egyptians abroad surge 70% YoY in July–May: CBE    Sudan's ambassador to Egypt holds reconstruction talks on with Arab League    Egypt's current account gap narrows, but overall BoP records deficit    Al-Sisi urges accelerated oil, gas discoveries, lower import bill    SCZONE signs $52.6m textile industry deals during China investment tour    Egypt hosts international neurosurgery conference to drive medical innovation    Egypt's EDA discusses Johnson & Johnson's plans to expand investment in local pharmaceutical sector    I won't trade my identity to please market: Douzi    Sisi calls for boosting oil & gas investment to ease import burden    EGX to close Thursday for July 23 Revolution holiday    Egypt, Senegal sign pharma MoU to unify regulatory standards    Egyptian Drug Authority discusses plans for joint pharmaceutical plant in Zambia    Two militants killed in foiled plot to revive 'Hasm' operations: Interior ministry    Egypt, Somalia discuss closer environmental cooperation    Egypt foils terrorist plot, kills two militants linked to Hasm group    Giza Pyramids' interior lighting updated with new LED system    Egypt's EHA, Huawei discuss enhanced digital health    Foreign, housing ministers discuss Egypt's role in African development push    Korea Culture Week in Egypt to blend K-Pop with traditional arts    Egypt reveals heritage e-training portal    Three ancient rock-cut tombs discovered in Aswan    Sisi launches new support initiative for families of war, terrorism victims    Egypt expands e-ticketing to 110 heritage sites, adds self-service kiosks at Saqqara    Egypt's Irrigation Minister urges scientific cooperation to tackle water scarcity    Palm Hills Squash Open debuts with 48 international stars, $250,000 prize pool    Egypt's Democratic Generation Party Evaluates 84 Candidates Ahead of Parliamentary Vote    On Sport to broadcast Pan Arab Golf Championship for Juniors and Ladies in Egypt    Golf Festival in Cairo to mark Arab Golf Federation's 50th anniversary    Germany among EU's priciest labour markets – official data    Paris Olympic gold '24 medals hit record value    A minute of silence for Egyptian sports    Russia says it's in sync with US, China, Pakistan on Taliban    It's a bit frustrating to draw at home: Real Madrid keeper after Villarreal game    Shoukry reviews with Guterres Egypt's efforts to achieve SDGs, promote human rights    Sudan says countries must cooperate on vaccines    Johnson & Johnson: Second shot boosts antibodies and protection against COVID-19    Egypt to tax bloggers, YouTubers    Egypt's FM asserts importance of stability in Libya, holding elections as scheduled    We mustn't lose touch: Muller after Bayern win in Bundesliga    Egypt records 36 new deaths from Covid-19, highest since mid June    Egypt sells $3 bln US-dollar dominated eurobonds    Gamal Hanafy's ceramic exhibition at Gezira Arts Centre is a must go    Italian Institute Director Davide Scalmani presents activities of the Cairo Institute for ITALIANA.IT platform    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Opposition fear constitutional amendments would lead to political setback
Published in Daily News Egypt on 29 - 12 - 2006

CAIRO: The constitutional and legislative committee in the Shura Council started discussing President Hosni Mubarak s suggested amendments to the constitution, amid concerns that the changes would negatively affect political participation and election integrity.
The discussions that started on Wednesday, a day after Mubarak presented his suggestions, are to end on Jan. 9, to be debated at the general assembly of the Shura Council for three days.
The People's Assembly is slated to debate the changes in the period from Jan. 16 - 20. Then the Shura Council is to vote on the results the parliament reached, although its role is consultative.
Parliament then takes back the list of changes and finalizes the format for the national referendum.
If the amendments are approved during the referendum, said Shura Council president Safwat El Sherif, the council s elections would be held according to the new changes.
Renewal elections for the Shura Councils and the municipal elections, which were postponed for two years in 2005, are both slated for 2007. The postponement of the latter was explained at the time as a reflection of the state's concern about the rise of the Muslim Brotherhood, which holds 88 seats in the current Assembly.
But with the new amendments, the Brotherhood, which constitutes the strongest oppositional front, would see its powers curbed.
Article 5 of the constitution, according to the suggested amendments, outlaws the any political activity established on a religious basis.
In addition, the changes to the electoral system would ban the organization from any public activity, which enabled it to get the 88 seats in the first place. It would also limit the organization s chance of getting the required number of seats in representative councils that would enable it to field a candidate in the presidential race - the current Article 76 requires a presidential candidate to be endorsed by 250 members of all councils, whether in parliament, Shura or municipal.
In a system based on the concept of citizenship and political pluralism, it s dangerous to establish any political activity on a religious and ethnic bases, said El Sherif.
We have to learn the lesson from the surrounding countries to protect the nation . Any political participation on these bases means division and fighting, he added.
On the other hand, the Brotherhood announced they will do what it takes to prevent the amendments, in their current form, from seeing the light.
Aside from political participation, jeopardizing judicial supervision of elections raised its share of concerns.
El Sherif said the electoral committees, estimated at 53, 000, obstructs voting. Stressing that the committees should increase to 100,000, El Sherif said, the judiciary should have its sanctity, but this doesn t mean that there won t be judicial supervision of the elections but it will be in a certain form.
According to the suggested amendment to Article 88, elections would be held on one day and judicial supervision would be only over general committees.
The opposition fears the change would make it easy for the government to tamper with election results, especially that judges have stood up against the alleged fraud that took place during the 2005 legislative elections.
In general, oppositional movements didn t see a substantial change in the suggestions that would open the door for rotation of power and real political activity, although the president's supporters see the suggestions as a positive step in Mubarak s road to political reform.


Clic here to read the story from its source.