Katatni: New Constitution Must Be Consensual; Guarantees Equality

Katatni: New Constitution Must Be Consensual; Guarantees Equality

Dr. Mohamed Saad Katatni, Speaker of the Egyptian People’s Assembly (PA), reaffirmed that the new Constitution must be consensual and guarantees equality for all Egyptians. This came during a meeting at Katatni’s office, where he received, Monday January 30, a member of the French National Assembly Hervé Gaymard, head of the Egyptian-French Parliamentary Friendship Group, and his accompanying delegation, currently visiting Egypt.

The news agency MENA reported Katatni saying, "There is already general agreement that all hues across the political and social spectrum of the Egyptian people will be represented in drafting the new Constitution”, indicating that “the two chambers of parliament – the PA and Shura Council – would form a 100-member constituent assembly that would include parliamentarians and non-parliamentarians to write the new Constitution".

Dr. Katatni explained that the Constitutional Declaration is the country’s interim Constitution which has an article preserving the laws and regulations, and added that, “the current Parliament has full powers, and can issue laws and hold the government accountable – in accordance with this Declaration”.

With respect to the continuous demonstrations in Egypt, Dr. Katatni said that this is the spirit of the revolution, and that after the fall of the former regime, the people are demanding economic reforms and development, adding that “these demonstrations should not be suppressed, because we live in an age of freedom”.