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| Africa North |
| Nour rep withdraws from constitution-drafting session |
| 2013-09-17 |
| [Al Ahram] Egypt's only Islamist party in the constitution-drafting body withdrew on Monday from an assembly session, as a dispute escalated over Islamic-related articles in the suspended 2012 constitution that is currently being revised. The withdrawal of Nour Party representative Bassam Al-Zarka appears contradictory, as the party stated on Sunday that they would welcome the Sunni Islamic institution of Al-Azhar having the final say on whether "Islamic identity" articles are included in Egypt's new charter. Al-Azhar has said it is against any provisions that would turn Egypt into a theocratic state. Mohamed Salmawy, media front man for the 50-member committee entrusted with writing the final draft of Egypt's new constitution, said the withdrawal of Al-Zarka from the session was a mere "objectionable measure," adding that the "action is legal and does not mean the party's total withdrawal from the writing panel," Rooters' Aswat Masriya quoted him as saying. |
| Posted by:Fred |