New constitutional declaration, controversial

The vice president to the interim president on foreign affairs, Mohamed ElBaradei, has authorised renowned lawyer Mona Zulfikar to present amendments to the constitutional declaration together with several political groups, Zulfikar has told the Daily News Egypt.
(AFP File Photo)

By Fatma Khaled

The vice president to the interim president on foreign affairs, Mohamed ElBaradei, has authorised renowned lawyer Mona Zulfikar to present amendments to the constitutional declaration together with several political groups, Zulfikar has told the Daily News Egypt.

Several parties have expressed their discord regarding the interim’s president Adly Mansour’s constitutional declaration issuing 33 articles on Tuesday.

Tamarod warned against attempts of producing a hybrid system that combines Mubarak’s party and Salafis, earlier in their response to the declaration of the constitution.

The constitution amendments have not been yet reviewed by most political parties, which came as “a surprise” to 6^th of April movement, Al-Nour Party, Tamarod, Al-Tayar Al-Sha’aby, the coordinating Committee of the June 30 front and the Socialist Popular Alliance Party, as they all claimed.

“This is an obvious revolution theft, taking us back to 25January and regardless of our disagreement on most articles, we are ready to offer new amendments,” said Khaled El-Kady, Alexandria’s Tamarod spokesman.

Many groups and political figures rebuffed the declaration’s articles that established legislative, executive and judicial authorities.

Khaled Ali, a lawyer and previous presidential candidate, expressed his disappointment towards constitutional declarations drafted midnight that grants all powers to the president, in an early released response.

Al-Wast Party deputy Mohamed Mahsob said in a statement that assigning full authorities to one man would ever achieve a democratic regime.

The 6^th of April movement expressed their disappointment in the declaration, which they had hoped would avoid previous mistakes, and criticised Mansour for issuing it solely.

The movement also denounced the president holding legislative power when they have demanded it be granted to the “Legislation Committee of State Council.”

Islamist groups, including the Building and Development Party, reject the declaration from what they deem an “illegitimate president”, and confirmed that the only constitution they recognise is that which was adopted in November 2012.

Essam El-Erian, a Muslim Brotherhood leader, added that the legislative power was stripped from the council.

“The constitution declaration goes against clear agreements announced in a meeting with the armed forces,” stated the Al-Nour party.

The Coptic group Maspero Youth Union also criticised the statement, saying that they will continue to fight for an “equal-opportunity country that safeguards dignity.”

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