Dr. Morsi: We Respect Court Decisions, Seek Real Consensus on Constitution

Dr. Morsi: We Respect Court Decisions, Seek Real Consensus on Constitution

Egypt’s military ruler, the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) led by Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, Commander in Chief, will hold a second round of talks next Sunday with the heads of political parties and stakeholders and a number of MPs, to discuss the latest developments on the Egyptian scene.


The first round of talks with SCAF was attended by the heads of 17 parties, including "The Freedom and Justice", "Nour", "Wassat", "Wafd", "Ghadd Althawra", in addition to a number of members of parliament.


The first meeting with SCAF underscored the importance of consensus and harmony in the current phase as Egypt prepares to author its new Constitution, especially after the recent court ruling that halted the formation of the Constituent Assembly tasked with writing the new national charter.


Dr. Mohamed Morsi, Chairman of the Freedom and Justice Party (FJP), said: "We all resolve, without exception, to respect the judiciary’s decisions. There is no room to circumvent or violate the provisions of the law".


Dr. Morsi said, "We agree on the main concepts, the principles and constitutional content of the new national charter: the first four chapters are undisputed. As for the article on the principles of Islamic law, it will remain as is, safeguarding the right of non-Muslims to refer to their own laws. All this is recognized by everyone".


Further, the FJP Chairman confirmed that the rights, citizenship and the modern state based on democracy are also undisputed, as they are the broad bases of the Constitution. He added that the principles of human rights as well as rights and duties of all citizens will forge special relationships, as everyone agrees upon them.


With regard to the state system of governance, Dr. Morsi said: "We favor the parliamentary system; but in the first phase of transition in Egypt, the system can be mixed (parliamentary / presidential) in preparation for a full parliamentary system sometime in the future".