ElBaradei: Complementary constitutional declaration attempts to reproduce Mubarak regime

Al-Masry Al-Youm

Fri, 18/05/2012 - 12:12

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

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