Sunday 20 May 2012

ElBaradei: Complementary constitutional declaration attempts to reproduce Mubarak regime

Fri, 18/05/2012 - 12:12
Mohamed ElBaradei (R), Egyptian presidential candidate, Mostafa al-Nagar, al-Adl (Justice) party deputy, during a meeting with party members, Cairo, August 7, 2011. ElBaradei's visit comes in a context of a dynamic political scene in run up to most anticipated parliamentary and presidential elections few weeks ahead.
Photographed by Tahseen Bakr

Mohamed ElBaradei criticized reports that the military council is planning to issue a supplementary constitutional declaration before the presidential election to stipulate the powers of the president without putting it to referendum or referring it to Parliament.

ElBaradei said on Twitter: "The military council will specify the powers of the president without a referendum and two days before the election, how does it have this right with the existence of Parliament?"

ElBaradei, a reformer who recently founded the Constitution Party, added that this procedure represents the "continuation of a transition phase that defies any reason and any legitimacy. The revolution broke out in order to build a new Egypt, and what we see today is a glaring attempt to reproduce and renew the old regime with the same ideology, methods and figures."

The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces plans to issue a complementary constitutional declaration on Monday, two days before the presidential election begins, to define the powers and duties of the new president, Al-Masry Al-Youm learned Thursday from political sources.

The amendments will stipulate the duties and powers of the incoming president after political forces failed to reach a consensus over the Constituent Assembly that was to be entrusted with drafting a new constitution.

On 10 April, an administrative court ordered the suspension of the 100-member and Islamist-dominated Constituent Assembly that was chosen by Parliament to write the new constitution ahead of the presidential election. Political forces and Parliament have since been in negotiations to reach a new formation of the assembly.

Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
River to Sea Uprooted Palestinian  
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