File photo: Second from left Mohamed Saad El-Katatni, Muslim Brotherhood guidance bureau member, and centre Egyptian Secretary General of the organisation Mahmoud Hussein. Next to him is president of Freedom and Justice Party, Mohamed Morsi, and party vice-president Essam El-Errian. (Photo: AP)
The Follow-up and Escalation Committee – formed by the Democratic Alliance for Egypt as well as several other parties – issued a strongly-worded statement calling for the omission of several articles of the supra-constitutional principles Egypt’s ruling military is pushing to pass.
No sooner had the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) announced the supra-constitutional principles than it prompted a flurry of criticism from across the political spectrum under accusations that the military council would be giving itself unfettered power and immunity.
The Democratic Alliance, headed by the Muslim Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice Party, along with several other parties, including Al-Jamaa Al-Islamiya’s Building and Development Party and El-Wasat Party, formed a committee to comment on the controversial supra-constitutional principles.
In the committee’s statement they demanded radical changes to the criteria for membership of the commission that will draft Egypt's brand new constitution. As is, the supra-constitutional regulations would not really reflect the will of the people.
The committee also called for the omission of the article that states “the military council is the protector of the constitutional legitimacy,” saying this role should be given to the people.
It also rejected giving SCAF the authority, as stipulated in the proposed supra-constitutional principles, to appoint another founding commission should the original one fail to draft the constitution within six months.
In effect, the statement, however accepted the idea of supra-constitutional principles, which they point out states the people are the source of authority.
An overall million-man march has already been called for on 18 November to demand a timeline for Egypt’s military junta to hand over power to a civilian administration and it is expected to be pivotal in post-revolution Egypt.
The parties forming the Democratic Alliance threaten to take it to the street, joining the 18 November protests if the proposed supra-constitutional principles remain as they are.
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