The nation, led by influential politicians, democratic movements, presidential hopefuls and leading columnists, is widely divided over the constitutional amendments due to be approved or not during a referendum on Saturday. Ordinary citizens, who are worried over the lack of stability and security in the wake of the January 25 revolution, are similarly divided. Denouncing these amendments, veteran law professors are urging voters to reject the proposed amendments, which they simply describe as the conclusion of a process of ‘darning'. Revealing their grievances, these detractors protest that the amendments won't curb the ‘absolute' and incontestable authority and powers offered by the existing Constitution to the head of the State. The protesters are also angry about a constitutional article, which allocates 50 per cent of parliamentary seats to peasants and workers, regardless of the dubious and corrupt manoeuvres made by former regimes to cynically exploit this article in favour of their candidates. Despite the 50 per cent quota, which harks back to the Socialist era in Egypt, the reality on the ground is, ironically, totally different. Privatisation, one the free market economy's spin-offs, has led to the sacking of hundreds of thousands of workers by their companies and factories, while the peasants have been abandoned and denied the Government's assistance. There are many other landmines in the existing Constitution, which could explode ahead of the upcoming referendum. Because of the growing wrangle over the nuts and bolts of these amendments, the result of the vote could disappoint the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, which appears to be impatient to get on with a peaceful and democratic transfer of power after 30 years of Mubarak.
