Egypt’s army in charter rush
CAIRO
Egypt’s ruling military insisted a new constitution be written before a new president is seated, a rushed timeframe that some fear may prolong their hold on power.For weeks, the Muslim Brotherhood and other Islamists sought to dominate the writing of the country’s first new constitution since the fall of Hosni Mubarak. But after Islamist domination of the process sparked a backlash of criticism, the military has stepped back in to take a more direct role. In a meeting April 15, the ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces urged heads of political parties, including the Brotherhood, to finish writing the country’s constitution before the election of a new president, now set for May 23-24, The Associated Press reported. The generals did not directly say the election would be delayed if the constitution is not finished, according to Mustafa el-Naggar, who attended the meeting. But few believe the document can be written and approved by a referendum in that timeframe.
El-Naggar’s Al-Adl Party warned that pushing back elections would open the door for “mayhem that threatens the country’s security... It is a coup against the democratic transition.”
