Egypt stops charter panel dominated by Brotherhood

CAIRO

A Cairo court said yesterday it had suspended an Islamists-dominated commission that had been tasked with drafting the country’s new constitution. The court, which deals with administrative issues, did not explain the reasons for its decision which was announced after lawyers and liberal political parties filed a complaint accusing the Islamists-majority parliament, which formed the panel, of having abused its powers, according to Agence France-Presse.

The 100-member panel, which is evenly divided between parliamentarians and public figures, was elected by the parliament which also voted for a number of reserve candidates who could replace the panelists.

But most of its members are from the Muslim Brotherhood and Salafis who hold the majority among MPs and senators. The secular parties, the Coptic Orthodox Church of Egypt and the Sunni Islamic institution, Al-Azhar, have decided to boycott the panel.

Parliament to ban Mubarak-era figures

Meanwhile, the Egyptian Complains and Proposals Committee members unanimously agreed late April 9 to revamp a law that would politically isolate members of the former regime accused of corrupting political life, al-Arabiya website reported.

The move seeks to abort the bids of former intelligence chief Omar Suleiman and former prime minister Ahmed Shafiq from running in the upcoming presidential elections. Head of the committee, Talaat Marzouk, said that a new article will be added to a decree-law issued by the ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces last year. The addition, Marzouk said, would clearly ban Suleiman, Shafiq and other senior figures of the former regime from occupying senior public posts for 10 years.