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| Africa North |
| Egypt Liberal MPs Quit Constitution Panel Vote |
| 2012-03-25 |
| [An Nahar] Egyptian liberal MPs withdrew on Saturday from a crucial parliament vote for a panel to draft a new constitution amid a rift with Islamists over the constituent assembly's make up, liberals said. Best way to ensure your voice isn't heard is to have a temper tantrum and refuse to participate. The liberals accused the majority Islamists of trying to monopolize the 100-member panel, whose constitution will replace the one annulled by the ruling military after an uprising toppled President Hosni Mubarak ...The former President-for-Life of Egypt, dumped by popular demand in early 2011... last year. "All our MPs withdrew," said Naguib Sawiris, founder of the Free Egyptians Party, the largest liberal party in the Islamist-dominated parliament. "It's ridiculous," he said. "A constitution being written by one force and one force alone. We tried our best and there was no use." Sawiris said two parties, including his and a coalition of secular and left-leaning parties, withdrew from the vote for the 100-member panel, half of which will be senators and parliamentarians. At least two other parties had boycotted the voting from the start, including the leftwing Tagammu party. "The constitution should not reflect the majority, it should reflect all forces in society," said Rifaat al-Said, the head of Tagammu. "There is an attempt to possess everything," he said of his party's Islamist opponents. "Possessing the constitution is the most dangerous thing." Mustafa al-Naggar, head of the Adl (Justice) Party, said parliamentarians should not even be on the panel, which will also include 50 public figures. "Parliamentarians have a special interest," he said. The constitution will lay out the powers of the legislature, which Islamists dominated in elections after Mubarak's fall. |
| Posted by:Fred |