The 50-member committee that will finalise Egypt's new constitution will include in the charter the goals of both the "25 January and 30 June revolutions," Hoda El-Sada, head of the Freedoms and Political Rights sub-committee, said Wednesday.
The 2012 Constitution, drafted and passed during Mohamed Morsi's one-year rule, contained an article on the goals of the January 25 Revolution. However, this article was excluded from the proposed amendments tabled by the 10-member committee — a technical committee that proposed amendments to the 2012 Constitution and passed them to the 50-member committee for further deliberation before a final draft is reached.
El-Sada, in the 50-member committee’s third meeting, stated that the new constitution will also include a formulation on the basic principles of justice and equality, Al-Ahram Arabic website reported. Suggestions made by the Freedoms and Political Rights sub-committee will be presented to the general assembly of the 50-member body.
The Freedoms and Political Rights sub-committee, according to El-Sada, is tasked with revising 39 articles and will determine a number of experts to assist in its discussions.
El-Sada said she has suggested an article that confirms Egypt’s commitment to all agreements on human rights.
The 50-member committee distributed its tasks Tuesday, voting on the heads of five sub-committees, each responsible for amending articles in their respective fields of expertise.
Besides El-Sada’s committee, Sameh Ashour, head of the Nasserist Party and co-founder of the National Salvation Front, was elected head of the Social Dialogue and Communication sub-committee, which is responsible for receiving and reviewing suggestions from institutions and civil society organisations.
Amr Elchoubaki, political analyst, was elected head of the System of Governance sub-committee. This group is expected to propose formulations to address debates on the parliamentary elections voting system, and to discuss the pros and cons of a presidential system of government versus a mixed government arrangement.
Mohammad Abdel-Salam, judge and consultant for Al-Azhar's grand imam, was elected head of the Fundamental Principles sub-committee, which has been asked to review 39 constitutional articles, including articles 1 and 2, as well as the controversial Article 219, of the 2012 Constitution.
A constitutional decree issued 8 July requires the 50-member committee to formulate new amendments to the 2012 Constitution within 60-days of commencing its work. The committee’s first meeting was held Sunday.
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