Egypt parliament passes draft of new constitution

November 30, 2012

 Egypt, the parliament passed the draft of the new constitution defining the roles and responsibilities of the executive, judiciary and legislature. A marathon session of parliament which lasted for sixteen hours each of the 230 articles of the new constitution were read and voted upon by the Islamist and Salafist MPs.
The liberal ,secular and leftist opposition along with minority Coptic Christians boycotted the proceedings of the house.
Under the Egyptian law, the draft has to be ratified now by President Morsey and put up for a nationwide referendum within 30 days.
In a televised interview, President Morsey said that it would be expedited in time since Egypt needs a constitution to have a properly elected parliament, an independent judiciary, and a President who executes the law. He defended his decisions as a step to save the revolution that toppled Mubarak regime.
The newly formed National Salvation Front ,an umbrella of liberal,secular and leftist opposition and youth revolutionary movements has criticized the move as hasty and ill conceived.
In a statement it alleged that the regime is trying to impose a constitution monopolized by one trend and is the farthest from national consensus, produced in a farcical way.
The parliament decision is being seen as an attempt to pre-empt a court ruling that could dissolve the constitution drafting body.
The Supreme Constitutional Court was due to give its ruling on the dissolution of the constitution assembly and the upper house of parliament on Sunday.
Analysts say it may further aggravate the tensions between the Government and the opposition which has been demanding scrapping of the Presidential decree which granted sweeping powers to President Morse