Osama Heikal, head of parliament's Culture, Media and Antiquities Committee, told reporters that discussions of the long-awaited new press and media law will begin next week.

"We held our first meeting Monday and it was devoted to reviewing proposed amendments to the draft law. We intend to take enough time to thoroughly study all suggested changes to the draft," said Heikal.

Heikal said there was a consensus among MPs that they should coordinate with the Press Syndicate and the newly formed National Press Organisation (NPO) in an attempt to ensure the new law, when ratified, does away with custodial sentences for publication offences.

Heikal said the committee opposed jailing journalists "on the grounds that this violates Egypt's 2014 constitution."

"We are very keen the new general press law conforms to the constitution, which states in Article 71 that journalists convicted of publication offences cannot be imprisoned," said Heikal.

In a memorandum submitted to Egypt's parliament this week, head of the newly-formed Higher Council for Media Regulation (HCMR) Makram Mohamed Ahmed said a number of measures aimed at reforming the financial and administrative conditions of state-owned press organisations should be soon taken.

Topping the list of these measures, Ahmed proposed converting loss-making print publications into electronic editions.

"State-owned press organisations shouldn't tolerate loss-making publications anymore and the best and easiest way is to transfer them to electronic editions," said Ahmed.

Ahmed also proposed that state-owned – or national – press organisations liquidate many of their loss-making activities. "If these activities continued to be a financial burden, these press organisations should move quickly to liquidate them," Ahmed said.

Ahmed argued that many national press organisations have been involved in many loss-making activities in recent years and that they have to rid themselves of these activities as soon as possible.

Ahmed also proposed amendments of a new press and media law that was prepared by media experts from both the government and the Press Syndicate.

Ahmed agreed with Heikal that the law should not impose prison sentences on journalists in violation of the constitution.

"The draft law also states that state-owned press organisations must act as independent institutions rather than government media mouthpieces, in line with Article 72 of the constitution that states that the job of the state-owned press is to reflect the full range of national views," said Ahmed.

Ahmed revealed that the NPO proposed that a new section by the name of "Disciplining of Journalists and Media People" be added to the draft.

"The addition will entrust the disciplining of journalists and media workers guilty of publication offences or the violating of codes of ethics to the Press Syndicate or the Syndicate of Media Workers."

Ahmed revealed that the three heads of three newly created three media regulatory bodies — the Higher Council for Media Regulation (HCMR), the NPO and the National Media Organisation (NMO) — had agreed they should consult with each other in their official capacity ahead of the selection of new board chairmen or new editors-in-chief of national press organisations and the Radio and Television Union (RTU).

"What this means is that the head of any of the three media bodies will be unable to take a unilateral decision in selecting new board chairmen or chief editors and that this should be codified in the new law," said Ahmed. "We need to coordinate with each other rather than work in isolation from each other if we are going to succeed in our goal of reforming the Egyptian press and media."

Ahmed said NPO had proposed Article 46 of the new press and media law be changed. "The NPO's proposed amendment states that each newspaper or magazine should have an editorial board and that this board should be headed by an editor-in-chief and seven chief editor deputies as members."

The NPO has also proposed Article 76 be amended to allow journalists to retire at 65 rather than 60.

"The NPO's proposals will apply to journalists who have been members of the Press Syndicate for at least 20 years, have not faced disciplinary measures during the last three years or taken long stretches of unpaid holidays," said Ahmed. "In addition, those who stay until 65 will not be allowed to hold senior positions such as board chair or editor-in-chief."

The NPO also wants Article 77 to be changed to expand the general assembly of national press organisations to 15 members – five journalists, five managers and five workers – rather than the 12 stipulated in the government draft.

It would also like to see the boards of national press organisations expanded to 13 rather than 11 members.

On the criteria to select editors-in-chief of daily newspapers, Ahmed said the NPO was suggesting candidates have a minimum 15 years' experience of reporting and editing during which they did not take extended unpaid leave.

Editors-in-chief of weekly, monthly or quarterly newspapers and magazines will be required to have a minimum of eight years of experience.