Egypt Parliament unofficially approves Constituent Assembly draft law

Parliament on Monday unofficially approved a draft law submitted by the Constitutional and Legislative Affairs Committee (CLAC) that would govern the Constituent Assembly of 100 members that would draft Egypt’s new constitution.

Freedom and Justice Party MP Sobhi Saleh, undersecretary of the CLAC, said the draft law is intended to guarantee the Constituent Assembly’s full independence. It details the standards of the assembly, the representation of its members and its voting procedures.

It also gives the assembly the right to devise its own bylaws, oblige all government institutions to provide it with information and technical support, appoint specialists and consultants to assist the assembly and independently evaluate its own performance.

Parliamentary majority leader Hussein Ibrahim said the FJP approves the draft law, and urged the People’s Assembly to do the same.

Nour Party MP Talaat Marzouk called for a rejection of the court ruling that initially stipulated the formation of the first Constituent Assembly. “The draft law gives the message to all Egyptians that they should reach consensus,” he said.

But Freedom and Justice Party MP Mostafa al-Naggar rejected the draft law, saying it provides only a framework and not real criteria for electing the assembly. The law could also be seen as an attempt to immunize the assembly from judicial rulings, and its drafting shows that Parliament is in conflict with other political forces, he said. MP Essam Sultan of the Wasat Party also rejected the draft law.