CAIRO - The changes to the present Constitution, to be announced in a few days, will remove flaws and prepare for free elections planned in six months, according to a senior legal expert. The first articles of the Egyptian Constitution would remain untouched for the time being, added Tareq el-Bishry, the head of a 10-man panel proposing amendments. "The articles to be amended tackle the powers of the president, the speaker of Parliament as well as others and will guarantee free and fair elections," he told a press conference in Cairo. He added that the amendments would be in tune with “the democratic openness Egyptians were aspiring to”. "These amendments will meet the hopes of all classes and leanings," el-Bishry said. El-Bishry, a former judge known for his independence and unbiased stances, disclosed that the amendments would be announced within a few days. The Army Council, which took power when Hosni Mubarak stepped down on February 11, suspended the Constitution. The panel was formed by the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces last Tuesday and given 10 days to draw up the proposals, which will be put to a referendum within two months. Alongside article 76 there was an official call to change five other articles: 77, 88, 93, 179 and 189. These articles cover issues such as judicial supervision of elections, presidential terms and use of military justice. An amendment to allow the first multi-candidate presidential race in 2005 effectively prevented a realistic challenge to Mubarak, the ruling party candidate. Judges were increasingly sidelined from monitoring elections that were routinely rigged.
