Egypt: Proposed NCHR Amendments Will Limit President’s Power

Deputy Chairman of  state -owned National Council for Human Rights( NCHR) Dr. Kamal Abul Magd (picture) said that the Council supports calls for amending articles 76 and 77 of the Constitution to allow equal opportunities to all eligible Egyptians to run for president, and limit the president’s term to a maximum two successive terms.”

“There are still thorny issues which haven’t been decided yet, including free higher education, appointing a vice president, and the state’s economic orientation” Dr. Abul Magd said, adding that the Egyptian society will be in dire need of a comprehensive reform in the years to come, as well as amendments to the laws regulating Egypt’s public life entirely.

Abul Magd stressed that it is high time to stop monopoly of power , lamenting that the structure of the current system of governing concentrates everything at the hand of the President.

However, a number of NCHR members downplayed the amendments envisaged by the Council, saying that the government would not abide by them on the grounds that the ruling National Democractic Party (NDP) had already held its annual conference and reached its own formula thereof “The NCHR committee has suggested the amendment of about one quarter of the constitution, but the ruling party will take only items which fulfill its interests”, they said, adding that the Council members are still divided on other issues including article 74 on nominating a vice president.

 Council member Baheyddin Hassan is skeptical about the government’s will to abide by such amendments or even introduce any essential ones to the constitution “ All that the National Party sought after during its annual conference was to raise the profile of Gamal Mubarak”, he said, apparently hinting at Gamal succeeding his father in power. However, a number of legal experts, including Dr. Yahya el Gamal and Dr. Tarek el Beshry, praised the amendments envisaged by the committee but they also said they were also skeptic about the government ‘s will to adopt such amendments, citing political obstacles within the system which still impede reform.” We don’t need to amend the  constitution or creat a new one but rather we first need to renounce the Emergency Law and establish freedom of forming parties through which the people could speak up their opinions and visions ” Dr. El Beshry said .

Dr. Usama el Ghazali Harb, the chief editor of the Asseyasa el Dawleya (International Politics) periodical magazine assured that these amendments were genuine and not dictated by any outside quarters. Dr. Harb also added that the council is taking the matter seriously but “after all, it is a civil society organization which decisions and initiatives are not binding”, he lamented .

In an exclusive statement to Ikhwanweb, Dr. Diaa Rashwan, researcher at Al-Ahram Centre for Political and Strategic Studies, said that the amendments are a step in the right direction but he saw these amendments useless if the Council continues to lack authority over the ruling party which persists with its vision of amendment in a way that works in favor of its interests rather than that of the nation.

 Rashwan called on all political forces to get together and agree on genuine constitutional amendments, “ especially that Egypt is going  through a critical stage and all political forces should rise to the challenges” he said.

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Ikhwanweb, London-UK