Prime Minister Hesham Qandil praised members of the Constituent Assembly on Monday during a ceremony honouring the assembly's work on the constitution. In his address, Qandil said the constitution is the driving force of progress into the next phase of the country, adding it is comprised of “all the best parts of all the constitutions in the world." Qandil said: “The Egyptian people have spoken." Qandil also thanked the Shura Council and addressed the nation, saying the government promises to continue to work towards achieving growth, happiness, comfort, freedom and social justice for the Egyptian people. “No decision will be made without first studying in detail whether or not such a decision will benefit the interests of the nation." Qandil said the members of the assembly had assumed a great responsibility in writing the country's constitution during such a critical time in Egypt's history, noting that such a moment had never before existed in Egypt's history. Hossam Ghariani, the assembly chairman, said that within the next few days people would see the beginning of a true economic revival in Egypt that would lead to a bright future. Ghariani also said that Egypt had always been ruled from a top-down power structure but now the people themselves are the source of power and it is everyone's responsibility to serve the Egyptian people. He congratulated the assembly members in garnering “the confidence of the people who voted overwhelmingly in favour of the constitution." The constitution was drafted in December after President Mohamed Morsy's constitutional decree in November made the assembly immune from dissolution. Virtually every non-Islamist member of the assembly withdrew in protest. Opponents of the constitution argue that it does little to safeguard the rights of women, children, freedom of the press and minorities.
