MB Parliamentary Bloc: Constitutional Amendments Serve Only NDP, Exclude Others from Political Action
 
The Muslim Brotherhood’s parliamentary bloc confirmed that the proposed constitutional amendments aim at excluding the vast majority of Egyptian people, including all their various political spectrum from the political action and preventing them from exercising their rights, and that these amendments serve only the interests of the ruling National Party to help it maintain power.

The MB bloc said - in a statement it issued at the end of its press conference on Wednesday, 27 December 2006, in its headquarters in Cairo that:-“These amendments are proposed under a clear retreat in the political and constitutional reform process which the Egyptian people was waiting for and under very bad circumstances, though this required a better climate to remove the state of political tension.

The statement pointed out that the suggestions fielded to the People’s Assembly reflect the on-sided view of the ruling National Party and they do not reflect the social agreement which is necessary for approving any constitutional amendment and that they gave a blind eye to the suggestions lodged at the end of the last parliamentary session, something that deprives these amendments of their popular and political legitimacy.

The MB bloc declared its attitude towards amending some of the constitution’s articles; it confirmed that the suggestions of amending Article 5 add more restrictions to partisan and political life, neglecting the fact that it does not really reflect the society and does not achieve its main factors.

It commented on amending this Article with confirming that there should be no discrimination between citizens according to religion, gender or origin, something that included in the principles and rules of the Islamic Sharia which is considered the best source that guarantees a right application of the abovementioned principle; consequently, the development of the political life depends on the political system’s ability to deal and interact with the main factors of the society, and the trends and desires of the public opinion, things that the suggested amendment excludes through banning exercising any active political or party activity that may address these factors.

Concerning amending Articles (62 and 94), the MB bloc confirmed that it excludes a key right which is one of the public freedom, which is nomination, through trying to prevent wide sections of the Egyptian people from it and allowing this right to those belonging to parties, no more than 3 % of all the Egyptian people, while depriving the other 97 % of the people from this sacred and national duty and right.

Concerning suggesting to amend Article (88), the statement confirmed that it destroys holding any possible fair and free elections in the future, pointing out that all people should unite to amend the constitutional Article ( 76 ) , including the conditions it imposed to block the right to nominate according to Article ( 62 ) of the constitution, and they agreed that Article (77) must be amended to make the president tenure not exceeding two terms; the introduced suggestions of the amendments lacked any hint at Article (77) to add more discrimination among the Egyptians and to violate the rules of the constitution, something that not only violate the will of the nation, but it crosses this to reach maintaining tyranny and corruption.
Also, the statement added that suggesting to amend Article (179) breaks all previous promises and violates the will, freedoms and rights of the Egyptian people guaranteed by Articles (41/44/45), pointing out that, according to this amendment, the Egyptian citizen can’t ensure that his personal freedom, the safety of his house and his private life won’t be violated, and it gives the security services full freedom to abuse and violate freedoms of people without any legislation to prevent them!!
 
In the same context, the MB parliamentary bloc’s statement pointed out that the suggested amendments did not suggest amending Article (148), in a way that guarantees rights, freedoms and personal freedom and private property in case the state of emergency is declared.

As for the suggested amendment of giving more power to the Cabinet, the MB bloc pointed out that there are many current articles in this constitution ordering that Cabinet must take part in laying down the general policy of the country, but they have no effect or impact on the political reality; also, the suggested amendments of supporting and expanding the power of the parliament are useless unless the constitution guarantees holding free and fair elections, things which are destroyed by the suggested amendments!!

The MB bloc ended its statement with confirming that there should be a cooperation between all powers of the society, including the political parties, the elites and all civil society organizations and all citizens nationwide, to study these suggestions, and show and declare their opinions in a way that achieves national interests.