• EGYPT
  • July 4, 2012
  • 4 minutes read

Erian, Beltagy: Constituent Assembly Begins Process to Author National Charter for All

Erian, Beltagy: Constituent Assembly Begins Process to Author National Charter for All

Dr. Essam El-Erian, Vice-Chairman of the Freedom and Justice Party (FJP), expressed satisfaction over the results of a meeting of the Constituent Assembly (CA) entrusted with drafting a new constitution for Egypt, as it completed election of its special committees as well as their rapporteurs and assistants.
 

Erian said, "The CA committees’ convening is a good start to authoring a constitution suited to the January 25 Revolution". He further added that the completion of the constitution-writing process is the most important requirement of the revolution.
 

Dr. Mohamed Beltagy, FJP Secretary-General, affirmed that CA committees have started convening, and that he was chosen as Rapporteur for the Committee on Suggestions and Community Dialogue.
 

"It was agreed that genuine, serious dialogue would be started immediately with all we can reach of the segments of society, experts and specialists from all parts of the country, and also with Egyptians abroad.
 

"I will personally endeavor to communicate with everyone electronically, by mail, by going directly to them or by inviting them to the CA, to listen to their suggestions. These suggestions will be a major part of the input of the CA’s work before drafting the Constitution."
 

The CA’s special committees, yesterday, elected their rapporteurs and their assistants. The System of Governance Committee selected Dr. Gamal Gibril as its Rapporteur, and Dr. Mohamed Ali Bishr as an Assistant Rapporteur.
 

The Basic Components Committee selected Dr. Mohamed Emara as its Rapporteur, and Dr. Mohamed Abdel-Salam and Dr. Yunis Makhion as Assistant Rapporteurs.
 

Meanwhile, the Rights and Freedoms Committee chose Edward Ghalib as its Rapporteur, and Amani Abul-Fadl and Manal El-Tayeb as Assistant Rapporteurs.
 

The Committee on Suggestions and Community Dialogue selected Dr. Mohamed Beltagy as its Rapporteur, and Abdel-Fattah Khattab as Assistant Rapporteur.
 

The Oversight Bodies Committee selected Saeed Abdel-Azim as its Rapporteur, and Mohamed Magid Khulusi and Salah Abdul-Maboud Assistant Rapporteurs.
 

Dr. Abdul-Rahman Al-Barr, member of the CA, affirmed that the constitution-writing panel did not discuss Article II of the Constitution at all.
 

Al-Barr further stressed that all rumor or ‘reports’ circulated in the media, including national newspapers, about a dispute over Article II of the Constitution were totally false.
 

"What we have done so far is the formation of committees to look into all aspects of the CA’s work and the preparation of suggestions for the next phase.
 

"Discussions are not conducted through the media and newspapers. I call upon those working in the media to let CA members work in an atmosphere of consensus and harmony, to prepare and present their suggestions to the CA, which should subsequently present them to the public."
 

Earlier, certain media outlets broadcast false reports about disagreement among CA members regarding Article II of the Constitution – on changing the phrase ‘principles of Sharia’ to the ‘rules of Sharia’, which was denied strongly by Dr. Abdul-Rahman Al-Barr, who denounced the whole approach of misinformation and division and strife sowing adopted by the media with regard to this matter.