Egypt candidate Khaled Ali rejects constitution under military rule
Ahram Online, Tuesday 17 Apr 2012
Presidential candidate Khaled Ali slams SCAF decision to draft constitution before president is elected; calls on revolutionaries to head to street on 20 April


Leftist lawyer and presidential candidate, Khaled Ali expressed on Tuesday his rejection of the announcement by the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) on Sunday that a constitution should be drafted before a president is elected in June 2012.

He added that the way the SCAF is pushing for the drafting of the constitution under military rule is a reflection of their unwillingness to see a truly democratic process in Egypt. He further asserted that rushing to complete the constitution before the presidential elections is unnecessary.

Mohamed ElBaradei yesterday made comments similarly condemning the idea of rushing the constitution. On his official Twitter account, he wrote, "Leading Egyptian thinkers drafted the 1954 constitution in 18 months, whereas the military council demands the revolution's constitution be ready in one month!"

Ali called on all revolutionary forces to go down to the street on the million-man march scheduled for this Friday, 20 April, against the SCAF’s management of the transitional period.

A key focus of the protests will be a rejection of Article 28 of the constitutional declaration which stipulates that the Supreme Presidential Electoral Commission (SPEC) is immune to appeals.

A renowned lawyer and activist, Khaled Ali has made his name promoting social justice and defending the rights of workers, peasants, and students over the course of the last two decades.

Ali announced his intention to run for president in March 2012 on a program of achieving the revolution’s goals. His presidential campaign emphasises social equity, the redistribution of wealth, civil liberties and the revolutionary course as a continuing struggle.

Presidential elections will take place on 23 and 24 May, and the president will be named on 21 June after a runoff voting round on 16 and 17 June.

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