Egypt’s new constitution may ban Morsi’s party
23 Aug 2013 5:09 AM IST
Religious parties in Egypt like the Freedom and Justice Party of ousted President Morsi may face dissolution while the ban on deposed dictator Hosni Mubarak’s party could be revoked under a proposed new constitution that seeks to overhaul the country’s political system.
A 10-member technical committee handed over the amended draft yesterday to Egypt’s interim president Adly Mansour after a month of deliberations and revisions.
The committee opted to change Article 6 to impose an outright ban on the formation of political parties based on religion or on
mixing religion with politics.
This could lead to the dissolution Islamist parties - including the Muslim Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice party. The committee also ruled in favour of eliminating the Shura Council, parliament’s upper house, and lifting a ban that prevented leading officials of Mubarak’s defunct National Democratic Party from exercising political rights, including running in elections. ‘Stripping citizens of their political rights must be instituted through judicial order rather than by the national charter,’ Committee member Magdi El-Agati was quoted by Al-Ahram as saying. The draft states Islamic sharia as the main source of legislation. The 2012 constitution was suspended as part of the Egyptian armed forces’ roadmap for Egypt’s future following Islamist president Morsi’s ouster on 3 July amid mass
protests against him.
A 10-member technical committee handed over the amended draft yesterday to Egypt’s interim president Adly Mansour after a month of deliberations and revisions.
The committee opted to change Article 6 to impose an outright ban on the formation of political parties based on religion or on
mixing religion with politics.
This could lead to the dissolution Islamist parties - including the Muslim Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice party. The committee also ruled in favour of eliminating the Shura Council, parliament’s upper house, and lifting a ban that prevented leading officials of Mubarak’s defunct National Democratic Party from exercising political rights, including running in elections. ‘Stripping citizens of their political rights must be instituted through judicial order rather than by the national charter,’ Committee member Magdi El-Agati was quoted by Al-Ahram as saying. The draft states Islamic sharia as the main source of legislation. The 2012 constitution was suspended as part of the Egyptian armed forces’ roadmap for Egypt’s future following Islamist president Morsi’s ouster on 3 July amid mass
protests against him.
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