Photo Credit: Voice of America
A draft of Egypt’s new constitution has been publicly released and made available online. The next step in legalizing the draft constitution is for Egypt’s interim President Adly Mansour to ratify the draft and then announce a date for the constitutional referendum. The Associated Press reports, ”the draft calls for elections, parliamentary or presidential, within 90 days after the adoption of the constitution,” and the “other election should be held up to six months later.” AP suggests that the “ambivalence is thought to be designed to give Mansour legal leeway if he chooses to call for a presidential election ahead of the parliamentary vote.” The draft also requires presidents to announce their financial assets annually and allows parliament to impeach an elected president with a two-third majority.
Amr Moussa, head of the constituent assembly praised the constitution saying that it “brings back soft power to Egypt… the real power that gave Egypt influence,” and addresses, “the dangerous circumstance through which Egypt passes.” However, the Muslim Brotherhood rejected the constitution and accused the “abusive coupists” of trying to “distort Egypt’s legitimate constitution,” referring to the constitution adopted under deposed President Mohammed Morsi last year. Ziad al-Ali, a Cairo-based constitutional expert with the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance, criticized the constitution for being based off its 1971 counterpart, saying members of the constituent assembly is treating the historic constitution “like it’s a bible.”
Meanwhile, the constitution was finalized midst a new wave of detentions targeting liberal opposition leaders such as Abd El Fattah and Ahmed Maher. The detentions took place under a new anti-protest law which “requires citizens to give the Interior Ministry three days’ notice before holding public meetings and electoral gatherings,” and, “Protesters deemed to have violated this provision face up to seven years in prison and fines up to $1,500.”