By Heba Hesham CAIRO: Liberal groups said on Friday that they were back to square one in a struggle with Islamists over the drafting of a new constitution a day after most parties agreed on a “compromise.” Some 14 parties had agreed on Thursday in a meeting with the ruling military council to boost their representation …
By Heba Hesham CAIRO: Dozens of political activists and movements organized a protest Tuesday morning in front of the State Council to express their rejection of the Islamist-dominated Constituent Assembly during the first session of an appeal against the panel at the Administrative Court. The assembly, comprised of 50 MPs and 50 members from outside parliament, …
By Safaa Abdoun CAIRO: The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) held a meeting with 19 political powers to discuss the crisis over the controversial, Islamist-dominated formation of the Constituent Assembly. Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi and Chief of Staff Samy Enan met members of political parties including the Freedom and Justice Party (FJP), the Salafi …
By Mai Shams El-Din CAIRO: Secular forces slammed Tuesday the Islamist-dominated Constituent Assembly, pushing to continue the struggle for a more inclusive assembly that represents all Egyptians. The Free Egyptians, the Social Democrats, the Popular Alliance Socialist Party and many independents complained about the control of the Muslim Brotherhood and the Salafis who, they claim, aim …
By Mai Shams El-Din CAIRO: Four members of the Constituent Assembly elected to draft Egypt’s new constitution declared Monday their withdrawal from the Islamist-dominated panel, putting the total number of walkouts at 12 so far. Amr Hamzawy, liberal lawmaker and researcher, Mona Makram Ebeid, member of the Social Democratic Party and political science professor, Sameh Ashour, …
By Hamza Hendawi / AP CAIRO: Egypt’s newly empowered Islamists have tightened their grip, giving themselves a majority on a 100-member panel tasked with drafting a constitution that will define the shape of the government in the post-Hosni Mubarak era. Led by the Muslim Brotherhood to victory in parliamentary elections, Islamists now have their eyes set …
By Heba Hesham CAIRO: Politicians denounced the make-up of the 100-member Constituent Assembly, elected by parliamentarians on Saturday, saying it was dominated by Islamists as expected. The assembly, comprised of 50 MPs and 50 members from outside parliament, is tasked with drafting the new constitution. It will hold its first meeting on March 28. Some elected …
By Heba Fahmy CAIRO: About 200 protested outside Egypt’s High Court on Friday against the Islamists’ domination of the Constituent Assembly tasked with drafting the new constitution. Protesters chanted slogans against the Muslim Brotherhood, whose political arm the Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) has a majority in the People’s Assembly and Shoura Council, followed by the …
By Heba Fahmy CAIRO: Political parties and MPs announced their nominations for the Constituent Assembly members, ahead of a vote set for the joint meeting of both houses of parliament on Saturday. The new constitution will replace the 1971 constitution, which was suspended on Feb. 11, following the 18-day revolt that toppled Hosni Mubarak. Fifty percent …
By Heba Hesham CAIRO: A court official denied that a verdict was issued against the decision to give MPs 50 percent of the Constituent Assembly that would draft the constitution. Councilor Mohamed Kandil, head of the technical office of the Administrative Courts of the State Council, denied Wednesday news of a verdict against a decision announced …
By Heba Hesham CAIRO: The Lawyers’ Union for Legal Studies and Democracy called upon political parties, civil society organizations, syndicates and individuals to withdraw legitimacy from both houses of the parliament and the Constituent Assembly that will draft the constitution, claiming they are unconstitutional. The People’s Assembly and the Shoura Council decided that 50 percent of …
By Heba Hesham CAIRO: Political powers denounced the criteria set by both houses of parliament for selecting members of the Constituent Assembly, tasked with drafting a new constitution. The People’s Assembly and the Shoura Council decided that 50 percent of the 100-member assembly will be comprised of Members of Parliament. “It is clear that the …
By Heba Hesham CAIRO: Elected MPs of both houses of parliament are to hold a joint meeting Saturday to agree on the final criteria for electing members of the Constituent Assembly that would draft the constitution in accordance with the 353 proposals received so far. By March 8, the parliament’s general secretariat had gathered all the …
By Heba Hesham CAIRO: The Egyptian society’s different segments are seeking to secure a place in the Constituent Assembly that would draft the new constitution amid heated debates among political parties on who would constitute the majority of its members. By Thursday, the People’s Assembly’s general secretariat had gathered all the proposals made by MPs, NGOs, …
By Heba Hesham CAIRO: Analysts criticized Saturday’s joint session of the People’s Assembly and Shoura Council for failing to reach concrete decisions as political powers remain divided over selecting the members of the constituent assembly. The joint session Saturday was meant to discuss criteria for selecting members of the constituent assembly, who will then draft Egypt’s …
By Heba Hesham CAIRO: Political powers are divided on the criteria for electing members of the constituent assembly that would draft the constitution, as the two houses of parliament are scheduled to hold their first joint session on Saturday. A proposal by the Muslim Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice Party (FJP), which holds around 47 percent of …
