• FJP News
  • September 8, 2011
  • 4 minutes read

Statement: FJP Criticizes Attempts to Hijack Will of Egyptian People

Statement: FJP Criticizes Attempts to Hijack Will of Egyptian People

The Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) has followed what has been published on the website of the Youm7 newspaper regarding the proposed Declaration of the Fundamental Principles for the Constitution, which is attributed to the Committee led by the Deputy Prime Minister. The FJP considers the proposed declaration as blatant violation of the popular will, and an insult to the great people of Egypt. This declaration, which states that the people are the source of authority, violates this basic rule by putting constitutional principles the can never be modified – neither by the today’s people in Egypt, nor by all future generations.

This declaration is not only putting constitutional principles that are rigid and immune against the popular will, but it is also allowing these principles to be subject to interpretation by international declarations of human rights, including making them as constitutional texts subordinate to international documents and charters, and identical to western visions and perspectives. This position by the committee of the deputy Prime Minister comes in contrast with that taken by the successive Egyptian governments that expressed reservations on many of these western-styled international charters and declarations.

Moreover, the proposed project has developed a vision of how to form the constituent committee, which will be drafting the Constitution. The proposal is not allowing the elected People’s Assembly and the Shura Council any role whatsoever in handling the matter and establishing the constituent committee.

This means that the elected authority, i.e. the one that is representing the people, has no longer a say or role as far as the Constitution is concerned according to this proposal. This also means that the drafting of the new constitution has become in the hands of a minority that thinks that it has the right to control the destiny of this country, and decide about its future.

The attempts by some political actors to impose a constitution on the people of Egypt are considered a deviation from the achievements of the January 25 revolution. This revolution has liberated the people of Egypt, who will not be enslaved again by any despotic authority. All those attempts to impose a new tyranny on the Egyptian people will not succeed.

The Freedom and Justice Party believes that what is being done by some political actors is a flagrant violation of the Egyptian people’s will and their choice; such acts (including the above mentioned proposal) are nothing but an attempt to build a new authoritarian regime. The Freedom and Justice Party confirms that it will always stand against all these attempts; as it vows to continue to struggle to protect the freedoms and rights of the Egyptian people. The FJP will not agree to any violation to the free will of the people; and it did not and will never allow the issuance of any limitations that restrict the rights and freedoms of the Egyptian people and their right to choose their constitution, fate and future.

Therefore, the FJP confirms that it will never accept in any way any principles, provisions of regulations that restrict the power and mandate of the upcoming Parliament and Shura Council. The FJP will not accept in any way anything that restricts the constituent committees that will be in charge of putting the new constitution. Our party will not remain silent and will never show indifference towards any attempt to override the free will of the people. On the contrary, it will always call upon the people and all the national forces to defend the people’s right of being the source of authority and legitimacy, as well as the right of the people to make everyone submitting to the public will.

Finally, the FJP vows to the people of Egypt that it will remain all the way defending their right to acquire their full and complete freedom and achieving full and true democracy, not a fake one.