http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2012/1100/eg9.htm
31 May - 6 June 2012
Issue No. 1100
Egypt Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875
Brotherhood delaying tactics?
The Muslim Brotherhood is being accused yet again of trying to monopolise the
writing of the constitution, Gamal Essam El-Din reports
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The Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) used its parliamentary
majority this week to abort any discussion over the way the constituent
assembly tasked with writing the constitution will be formed.
An 83-page report prepared by the People's Assembly Constitutional and
Legislative Affairs Committee on new guidelines for forming the constitution
writing body was circulated on Sunday. It included details of legislation
regulating the work of the constituent assembly, a law comprising 13 articles.
Once in place such legislation would leave the work of the constituent assembly
beyond any appeal to the administrative courts.
The proposed articles also stipulate that the constituent assembly finish
drafting the constitution within one month of the new guidelines being issued,
and mention it must represent all segments of Egyptian society.
Article four of the proposed law sets a 10-day period during which parliament
can accept candidacy recommendations for assembly membership from a wide range
of groups, including political parties, unions and syndicates.
On 10 April the constituent assembly approved less than three weeks earlier by
the Islamist dominated parliament was suspended by administrative court order
on the grounds that it was unfairly skewed towards the Muslim Brotherhood and
its Salafist allies rather than encompassing a broadrange of opinions and
interests.
The proposed law makes no mention of the ruling Supreme Council of the Armed
Forces (SCAF) reissuing its call for a joint meeting of both houses of
parliament to debate how the constituent assembly be formed.
"We do not need to begin from scratch since the 10 April court order did not
question the right of parliament -- rather than SCAF -- to call a new meeting,"
said Mahmoud El-Khodeiri, chairman of the Legislative Committee. The proposed
law entrusts People's Assembly Speaker Saad El-Katatni, the FJP's former
secretary-general, with calling a joint parliamentary meeting. "This must take
place within a week of the law being passed," says Article 5 of the law.
In a meeting held on 27 May liberal and leftist deputies accused FJP MPs of
seeking to impose a constituent assembly able to circumvent appeals before
administrative courts, giving Islamists a free hand.
"We are back to square one. This law goes against the spirit of April's court
order," says MP Mustafa Bakri.
Free Egyptians Party MP Bassel Adel points out that the proposed law could be
ruled unconstitutional since it all but ignores April's court order, not least
the stipulation that the assembly should not include parliamentarians.
"The proposed law," insists Justice Party chair Mustafa El-Naggar, "is another
step in the wrong direction." He accused the assembly's Legislative and
Constitutional Affairs Committee of ignoring proposals on forming the assembly
submitted by liberal parties.
"Once again the committee dumped proposals in the waste paper basket so as to
give the FJP a free rein to form the assembly."
Wahid Abdel-Meguid, an independent MP who has acted as a channel between
political forces over the formation of the assembly, says the Legislative
Committee is "working unilaterally, largely disregarding what political forces
have agreed upon".
The constitution was suspended shortly after Hosni Mubarak was forced to
resign. A constitutional declaration was issued on 30 March last year,
entrusting the two houses of parliament with forming a constituent assembly to
write the country's first post-25 January Revolution's constitution. This task
was bogged down in a quagmire, with most secular forces accusing the Muslim
Brotherhood of exploiting its majority in parliament to manipulate the assembly
and impose a religious agenda on the constitution.
Now secular forces believe that the Muslim Brotherhood is wasting time until a
new president is elected.
"They believe that their candidate, Mohamed Mursi, will be elected and then
they will use their powers to draft the constitution in the way they like,
turning Egypt into an Islamist state," says Bakri.
In a press conference on Tuesday Mursi promised the constituent assembly would
include all political stripes.
"I will make sure the next constitution truly represents all Egyptians.
Parliament will establish new criteria for the assembly by reducing the number
of MPs sitting on it, and I will work to ensure the assembly is established
very soon."
But, warns Bakri, pointing out that Mursi is the presidential candidate in an
election the Brotherhood said it would not contest, the "Muslim Brotherhood
always does the opposite of what it promises."
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