Morsi Allies Push Through Draft Constitution In Egypt

Renewed mass protests occurred in Cairo’s Tahir Square after allies of Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi approved a draft constitution on Friday after an all-night session in the constitutional assembly.

The constitution is supposed to go to a national vote sometime in mid-December although the referendum may face various legal challenges. Opponents could even boycott the election, if it goes forward.

CNN observes that “Some have said Morsi’s push for a new constitution is a power grab that echoes Egypt’s past.”

Reuters reported that members of the assembly unaffiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood walked out of the proceedings:

“Liberals, leftists, Christians, more moderate Muslims and others had withdrawn from the assembly, saying their voices were not being heard.”

AP summarized the protests over the adopting of a draft constitution:

“Crowds of protesters marched from several locations in Cairo, converging in central Tahrir Square for the opposition’s second mass rally in a week against Morsi. They chanted, ‘Constitution: Void!’ and ‘The people want to bring down the regime’ as fireworks went off.”

This was the second mass protest in a week. On Tuesday, an estimated 200,000 Egyptians rallied in Tahrir Square (and in other cities) to protest Morsi’s granting himself sweeping new powers.

AP also reports that opposition leader Mohamed ElBaradei declared that the constitutional draft “will go to the garbage bin of history.”

According to Reuters, “The assembly concluded the [constitutional] vote after a 19-hour session, faster than many expected, approving all 234 articles of the draft, covering presidential powers, the status of Islam, the military’s role and human rights.” Apparently the rush to approve the charter was because Egypt’s Supreme Constitutional Court was considering disbanding the assembly entirely.

A provision guaranteeing woman’s rights was dropped “because of disputes over the phrasing.”