First public hearing of Egypt's draft constitution Thursday

Ahram Online, Thursday 4 Oct 2012

Open reading of national charter sections to take place at Shura Council premises Thursday afternoon, Constituent Assembly confirm via Facebook after complaints assembly restricted public access

Constituent Assembly
Constituent Assembly (Photo: Al-Ahram)

The first public hearing of the latest draft sections of Egypt's constitution will take place 2pm Thursday at the downtown Cairo premises of the Shura Council (upper house of parliament), the Constituent Assembly confirmed via its Facebook page.

According to the online statement, the event is public, all Egyptian citizens are free to attend the meeting and express their opinion on the national charter. The invitation was spearheaded by the assembly's Committee for Suggestions, Discussion and Society Contact, headed by Mohamed El-Beltagi, leader of the Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party.

The initiative comes after the constitution-drafting body was criticised by Egypt's political forces for allegedly restricting access to readings of the constitution and preventing the public from having their say. 

Short link: