Military Announces Constitutional Committee

A constitutional reform panel has been commissioned by the military council to change the same six articles in the Egyptian Constitution that ex-President Hosni Mubarak‘s constitutional reform commission identified. 

The abolition of Article 179 which restricts people’s freedoms and rights in the name of security will be considered along with amendments to articles 76, 77, 88, 93, and 189. Article 76 restricts the ability to nominate presidential candidates; article 77 does not set a limit for presidential terms; article 88 limits judicial oversight of elections; article 93 grants parliament sole authority for determining the legitimacy of MP memberships and article 189 gives the president and the People’s Assembly exclusive rights to amend the constitution. 

On Monday  the military appointed panel members selecting former judge Tariq Al-Bishry as chairman. Opposition groups are divided however as to whether amendment reforms will be sufficient, and are contemplating whether a new constitution should be created. 

Constitutional scholars have advised the military to create an interim constitution and Muslim Brotherhood lawyer Sobhi Saleh has been chosen to be part of the panel.