Carnegie Endowment Analyzes Possible Outcomes of Postponing Constitution

Carnegie Endowment Analyzes Possible Outcomes of Postponing Constitution

A recent report by the Carnegie Endowment analyzes the current controversy in Egypt between those who favor drafting a new constitution first and those who insist on holding parliamentary elections first.

According to the study by researcher Michelle Dunne, only a minority of Egyptians focus on the inability of authorities to manage the elections in September, and the inability of new parties to rally supporters.

The report notes the proposed system, describing it as ‘unprecedented’, based on electing two-thirds of the members individually, while having the rest of the members elected by the proportional representation system.

Other issues covered include ‘crosscutting concerns’ where the writer cites that the struggle between political forces is intensifying with the approaching parliamentary elections. It claims that political groups are expressing fears that military rule will persist, that the former National Democratic Party (NDP) will re-emerge and that the Muslim Brotherhood will dominate. The MB has repeatedly assured the nation that it has no intention to dominate the political arena, asserting that it promotes a democratic and multiparty system for the country.

Dunne writes that these concerns create both confusion on the political scene as well as conflicting sets of priorities. ‘Who will write the constitution’ and, ‘what will it say’, is also covered in the report where initiatives by political forces, including the MB’s newly-established Freedom and Justice Party,  SCAF, activists and potential presidential candidates, are discussed.

The report suggests that there are conflicting views concerning the elections and the date they will be held and that the SCAF may very well postpone the elections.

Should this be the case, March’s referendum will be disregarded and 77% of the people’s decision which called for ‘constitution first’, will be ignored, illustrating that maybe the definition of democracy has still not been realized, thereby defeating the purpose of the revolution which came about at the hands of a nation which wanted its voice to be heard.