Egypt’s parliamentary elections should be held after a new constitution is drafted, says presidential candidate Mohamed ElBaradei.

ElBaradei, former head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said in a press conference held yesterday evening in Estoril in Portugal that it would better for Egypt if a new constitution was written before parliamentary elections are held.

The current plan put forward by the ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces stipulates the parliamentary elections will be held in September and that thereafter the new parliament will create a committee to draft a new constitution.

ElBaradei added that he prefers the German constitutional model, which has 20 articles about human rights that cannot be altered. ElBaradei added that he would warmly welcome a similar constitution in Egypt, which he said would satisfy everyone and eliminate fears regarding the coming period.

ElBaradei insisted that Egypt needs a longer period to ready itself for elections to be held in September, only six months after ousted president Hosni Mubarak stepped down on 11 February.