|
The Egyptian Constitutional Platform holds its first session in Demietta
|
1/4/2006
The Egyptian Constitutional Platform will hold its first session in Demietta on April 5th. Many political party, syndicate leaderships, civil society representatives and many professors at Mansoura University will participate.
Among them are: Dr. Salah Sharafeldin the National Party Secretary in Demietta, Engineer Mohamed Helmy Doura, the Ahrar Party Secretary, Anis AL Bayaa, Secretary of Al Tagamou Party, Engineer Saber Abdulsadiq, an MB leader, Ahmed Fayed the President of the Bar Association, Dr. Ahmed Salama, Head of the Physicians Syndicate, and also the Head of Endowment Authority (Awkaf), and Father Beshoy, head of the Demietta Church.
Hafez Abu Seeda, the Secretary General of the Egyptian Organization for Human Rights (EOHR), pointed out that the session seeks discussing the reasons and motivations behind calling upon amending the 1971 Constitution, and the work mechanisms that are to be taken by the members of the Constitutional Platform aiming at providing a new constitution consistent with the current state of development, and notably fulfilling hopes and ambitions of the political parties and societal powers, provide freedoms for all, abolishing exceptional codes and laws, like the emergency law, guardianship law and law of shaming, beside abolishing or amending the laws regulating political parties, political rights, syndicates and press, and reconsider the three governmental authorities in a manner achieving balance between the three authorities, with a relative hegemony for the legislative authority over the executive, so as to allow accountability and control, which will, in its turn, ultimately lead to the democratic change in the Egyptian society.
Noteworthy, the Egyptian Constitutional Platform was formed on the ninth forum of the EOHR entitled, "Constitutional Reform: Sooner than Later" held on February 2005.
The members of the Egyptian Constitutional Platform advised, on another occasion, the necessity of amending the 1971 Constitution, especially regarding the powers granted to the President and the checks and balances between the three authorities (executive, legislative and judicial), also the Articles handling these authorities, in a manner allowing the control and legislative roles of the legislative authority, granting the integrity and consistency of the judiciary, and abolishing all forms of exceptional courts.
The amends applied to the Constitution shall be followed by producing a new Constitution reflecting the current stage with its new circumstances, including a new detailed Part about the public rights and freedoms, including a package of economic and social rights stipulated in the International Covenant on Economic and Social Rights, like the right to work, right to health, right to residence, right to social care, and the package of the civil and political rights stipulated in the concerned human rights international documents.
EOHR shall declare the new Constitution in a public conference that will be attended by various representatives of the syndicates, political parties, and civil society organizations, and it shall be ultimately sent to the President, People's Assembly and the Shoura Council.
|
|
