Amr Moussa, the chairman of Egypt's 50-member panel tasked with amending Egypt's Islamist-drafted constitution, listens during a press conference at the upper house of parliament, the Shura Council, in Cairo, Egypt, Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2013 (Photo: AP)
The 50-member committee began the process of putting Egypt's new constitution to a final vote Saturday.
Amr Moussa, chairman of the Committee of the Fifty - tasked with writing the new constitution - told a press conference on Saturday that the new constitution includes a total of 247 articles, including 42 additions that were not listed in former Egyptian constitutions.
"The committee's Friday meeting lasted into the early hours of Saturday, with members reaching consensus on all articles and the preamble," Moussa added.
He further maintained that "the new draft constitution is radically different from the one which was passed in 2012 in terms of social justice, enshrining greater freedoms and drawing a new future for Egypt."
"If I were to use a title to describe this constitution, it would be 'a constitution for social justice,'" Moussa said, adding that "it includes 45 articles ensuring real rights for workers and farmers."
"These are not illusive or imaginary rights, as has been the case previously, but real rights, mandating the state implements them," said Moussa.
The new draft constitution includes 18 articles granting new freedoms to Egyptians, as well as equality among all citizens, particularly between men and women, disabled and marginalised sectors of society. "These were enshrined in the new constitution after listening to the demands of as many as 91 institutions representing many sectors in society," stated Moussa.
He emphasised his pride that the new constitution states that Egypt is a democratic state with civil rule.
Moussa argued that the new constitution was also designed to usher Egypt into a new future. "After a few years, Egypt's population will rise to 100 million, and after 40 years to 150 million," said Moussa, adding that, "as a result, it was necessary that the new constitution be drafted to reflect the aspirations and demands of the coming generations."
The complete draft of the new constitution has been finalised after 56 closed-door plenary meetings were held. The total number of articles stands at 247, 11 more than the 2012 suspended constitution (236 articles) and 36 more than the 1971 constitution (211 articles).
Moussa stressed that the granting of certain powers to the Supreme Council of Armed Forces (SCAF), including the right of naming the Minister of Defence for 8 years, and referring civilians to military courts under limited conditions, does not equate to military rule in Egypt.
The right to name the Minister of Defence for eight years (or two presidential terms) "is not in order to grant immunity, but for the purpose of securing national interests at a time when the armed forces are fighting a ferocious battle against terrorism," he elaborated.
After eight years, we hope that Egypt will be stable enough for us to change this article.
The 2012 constitution, drafted by a majority of Islamists under the ousted regime of Mohamed Morsi, allowed the referral of civilians to military courts without restriction.
"In contrast, this constitution mandates the referral of civilians to military courts in limited cases, including the direct attack on buildings and personnel of the armed forces," argued Moussa.
He praised the ultraconservative Salafist Nour Party, stressing that its single representative had not opted to boycott any of the 50-member committee's meetings. "The Nour Party is now part of the new structure of the state, and their representative was highly cooperative until the last moments of finalising the draft."
Moussa said the preamble of the new constitution clearly states, "Islamic Sharia is the main source of legislation in Egypt and that the rulings of the High Constitutional Court (HCC) will be authoritative in interpreting its principles." Although this was disappointing to the representative of the Nour Party, he didn't withdraw from the committee.
Moussa said the new constitution eliminates the 50-year-quota of fifty percent seats for representatives of workers and farmers in the parliament, and scrapped the 30-year-old upper house of the Shura Council.
"However, 50-percent of seats will be reserved on elected local councils for workers and farmers, while the coming parliament will have the final say on whether or not another house is needed."
Moussa indicated that the committee voted in favor of an electoral system, in which two-thirds of seats will be allocated via the individual candidacy system, and one-third via the party-list system. "An article about this will be included in the chapter regulating transitional and interim conditions, but there is another basic article passing the final say on the electoral system to the president."
Moussa concluded that by next Tuesday, he will pass the approved draft to the president, who will put it to a national referendum.
According to article 30 of the constitutional declaration, issued by interim President Adly Mansour, once the new draft constitution is passed to the President of the republic, it must be put to a national referendum within one month
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