Update: Committee votes on 138 articles in constitution

The committee tasked with amending the constitution passed by a sweeping majority the first 138 articles of Egypt’s new draft constitution on Saturday.

It was the first of two days of voting before submission of the final draft document to the interim president. He will then be required, according to the Constituent Assembly, to call for a referendum on the constitution within a month.

All but two of the committee’s 50 members were present for the voting session, held in Shura Council headquarters. After taking a late afternoon recess, the committee resumed its work and was expected to remain inside the Shura Council until late Saturday night.

The articles passed include the first section of the constitution, which tackles the basic features of the state, the second section, relating to social and economic rights, the third section relating to freedoms, the fourth section relating to the rule of law and part of the fifth section pertaining to the legislative branch of government. The rest of the articles will be voted on by Sunday. A separate vote was held for each article.

Also passed was an article stating that peaceful demonstration is a right protected by law, which observers say could render the recently imposed protest law, which criminalizes protests that proceed without approval from the Interior Ministry, unconstitutional. 

Amr Moussa, head of the committee, urged the Egyptian people to support the constitution in the upcoming referendum to ensure stability and progress. He was speaking at a press conference just prior to the holding of the vote. Moussa confirmed that the draft includes 42 new articles.

He said that the draft contains “transitional articles” that deal with the current role of the minister of defense. But he denied reports that the new constitution gives the holder of the position immunity. He said that the articles addressing the question are only “transitional” and are necessary during this period.

The second article passed states that Islam is the religion of the state and that Islamic Sharia is the main source of legislation. The third article states that legislation regarding the personal affairs of Christians and Jews should be based on their own religious law.

A proposal to refer to “non-Muslims” in the article, rather than specifying Christians and Jews, was considered by the Assembly but was eventually rejected.  

Other articles voted for include one that stipulates an ascending system of taxation, and another that ensures that women have equal opportunities in the judiciary, where they have long been excluded.