Mixed system in constitutional draft

Amr Moussa, the head of the committee of 50 tasked with the amendment of the constitution announced that that the draft will stipulate a mixed system, state news agency MENA reported on Wednesday.

In an interview with the Kuwaiti Al-Siyasa newspaper published on Wednesday, Moussa announced that the drafting committee is close to finishing its task and is now in the midst of the last reading of the preliminary draft in preparation for its discussion by the whole committee.

Moussa revealed, however, that some contested articles have not been drafted and were left to be voted on by the general committee. Among these articles is the one that will decide on whether to keep the Shura Council and change its name to senate or remove it.

Another controversial aspect remains the roles and powers assigned to different judicial entities.

Moussa met today with representatives from the State Council to discuss their grievances regarding the constitution. The State Council had objected to a suggestion from the committee to distribute some of its powers to the Administrative Prosecution Authority and the State Attorneys Authority.

State Council judges announced that they will postpone a sit-in that was planned to start today in the headquarters of their club protesting what they call an infringement on the powers of State Council.

According to state news, the vice president of the State Council Samir Bahey said that the judges decided to postpone the sit-in, but that it remains a possibility along with other measures, such as group resignations, if their demands were not met.

On another front, Bichop Bola, the representative of the Orthodox Church threatened to withdraw from the committee in objection to the drafting of Article 219 which specifies the meaning of Islamic Sharia stipulated as the main source of legislation in Article 2.

Al-Azhar reached a drafting of Article 219 last week in collaboration with the Supreme Council that was approved by the Salafi Nour Party.

Bishop Bola said that the church was excluded from discussions on the article and that it would withdraw from the committee if Islamic Sharia was defined in the constitution.