Egypt: Parliamentary elections are postponed and expected to be held after Ramadan

Egyptian Parliament
(Image: Egyptian Streets)

Egypt’s Parliamentary elections initially scheduled to be held on 21-22 March nationwide are declared to be postponed due to security and technical reasons, stated Egypt’s Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Ibrahim El-Heneidi.

Egypt’s Parliamentary elections are expected to be held not earlier than the end of the Holy month of Ramadan, stated the Minister. Ramadan is scheduled to begin on 18 June this year.

It’s worth mentioning that Parliamentary elections are the third important phase of the political roadmap issued by Egypt’s Armed Forces after ouster of the Islamist backed President Mohamed Morsi in July 2013. The first phase was amending the Constitution, the second phase was Presidential election and the third one is Parliamentary polls.

Ukraine: Constitutional Commission holds its first session

Volodymyr Groisman, Petro Poroshenko and Arseniy Yatsenyuk
during the first session of the Constitutional Commission
(Image: The Guardian)

Ukrainian Constitutional Commission aimed to amend Ukrainian Constitution in the framework of the Constitutional reform, announced earlier, has held its first session on Monday, 6 April. The newly formed Constitutional Commission consists of law experts, politicians, civil activists and representatives of civil society in order to make the process of amendment of Constitution open, according to the official statements.

Amendment of Ukrainian Constitution is being made also in accordance with the terms of Minsk Agreement of 2014, as Ukraine works on granting more rights and powers to the regions and to impose decentralization of government.

Egyptians cast their votes during the first day of National Referendum on the Constitution’s draft

Egyptian ladies after voting in Referendum
(Image: Ahram Online)

Egypt’s National Referendum on the amended Constitution set for 14 and 15 January has started on Tuesday in Egyptian cities, as Egyptian citizens abroad have already cast their voiced during the previous days.

Referendum was held amid tight security measures, as the fear over the possible clashes and violence was really strong with the supporters of Muslim Brotherhood declaring they will boycott the polls and calling for the massive anti-referendum protests. According to the information of Egypt’s Ministry of Interior and Armed Forces nearly 20 000 police officers, 150 central security forces, 200 combat groups and additional military troops have been deployed to the polling stations across the country to secure voting process during two days.

Egypt’s Constitutional referendum will be held on 14-15 January 2014

Adly Mansour, Egypt's interim President
(Image: Cairo Scene)

Egypt’s interim President Adly Mansour has announced the date of national referendum on the new draft of amended 2012 Constitution.

During his official ceremony speech at the Presidential palace on Saturday, Adly Mansour declared that the national Constitutional referendum will held on 14-15 January 2012. Referendum is expected to be held in one stage with the polls’ station open from 9 a.m. till 9 p.m. and under the supervision of lawyers and representatives of political parties and NGOs authorized for it.

Egypt’s interim President will announce the date of Constitution’s referendum on Saturday

Adly Mansour, Egypt's interim President
(Image: The Guardian)

According to the statement of Egypt’s interim President Adly Mansour the date of the national referendum for the amended Constitution will be announced this Saturday, 14 December.

The announcement will be made by the interim President in presence of 50-members Constitutional Committee tasked with the amending of 2012 Constitution, ministers of the interim government led by Hazem El-Beblawy, members of Supreme Judicial Court and also representatives of Al-Azhar and of the Coptic Church.

Egypt’s draft of the amended Constitution is finalized and presented to the President

Amr Moussa, chairman of the Constitutional Committee, gives
the Constitution draft to Adly Mansour, Egypt's interim
President
(Image: AP)

Egypt’s 50-member Constitutional Committee tasked with the amending of the 2012 Constitution, suspended in the frameworks of the political roadmap introduced by Egypt’s Armed Forces after ouster of Islamist backed President Mohamed Morsy, was finalized on Sunday, 30 December.

Constitutional Committee has been holding final talks and discussions of the four articles remaining not approved by the members of the Committee as they have sparked debates and controversy. Among them were an article regarding the military trials for civilians in special cases, articles related to the upcoming parliamentary and presidential elections and the article stipulating the structure of the future Parliament and the way of voting and electoral system.

Egypt’s Constitutional Committee is expected to vote for the Constitution’s draft at the end of week

Amr Moussa, chairman of Egypt's Constitutional Committee
(Image: The Guardian)

Egypt’s 50-member Constitutional Committee is at the stage of finalizing its work and the final discussions over some controversial articles. The main work of the Committee is done, and the final voting for the draft of the new Constitution is expected to be held at the end of this week, probably till 30 November.

This announcement was made my Amr Moussa, chairman of the 50-member Constitutional Committee tasked with the amending of Egypt’s 2012 Constitution issued by the Islamist led Constituents Assembly and the time of Mohamed Morsy’s presidency. Amr Moussa has made this statement during his official meeting with the representatives of farmers and workers of Egypt.

Egypt’s Shura Counsil could be eliminated in the new Constitution

Egyptian Constitution
(Image: Al Masry Al-Youm)

After long debates among the members of the Constitutional Committee tasked with the amending 2012 Constitution the decision was taken to eliminate the Shura Council (Upper House of Egypt’s Parliament) from the political system of the country.

There have been many debates regarding the issue of the Upper House of the Parliament which has played consultative role according to the previous national charter. Many representatives of the 50-member Constitutional Committee have suggested the removing and eliminating of the Shura Council as a legislative body claiming it is “toothless” and was often used for money squandering and agitation for the political interests of some specific groups using their influence on media bodies etc.

The finale debates over the amended Egyptian Constitution are expected to be public with the national referendum to be held in December

Amr Moussa, chairman of the Constitutional Committee
(Image: The Guardian)

Amr Moussa, the chairman of the 50-member Constitutional Committee tasked with the amending of the suspended 2012 Egypt’s Constitution, has declared that the final discussions over the draft of the national charter are expected to be public and also attended by the members of the alternate panel of the Constitutional Committee as well.

It’s worth mentioning that after the draft of the Constitution was ready for discussions all the official sessions of the Constitutional Committee have been held only with an attendance of the members of the main panel and behind the closed doors. Media and journalists weren’t allowed into the debate room and there have been also no airing of the debates. This decision has been taken in order to avoid some misinterpretations and spreading the rumors in the public. Media figures were allowed to the official press conferences held after each session where the official statements regarding the ongoing discussion of the controversial articles of the Constitution’s draft have been made.

Egypt’s Constitutional Committee to start voting on some articles of the Constitution on Sunday

Egypt’s 50-member Constitutional Committee tasked with the drafting of the amended 2012 Constitution is ready for the second stage of the process with at least 189 articles of the national charter written. The next stage will include studying of the articles and chapters of the amended Constitution and voting of the Committee members before the Constitution’s draft will be ready to be sent to the President for approval.

It was reported earlier that the next stage of the process of rewriting of the Constitution should start at the beginning of this week and it is expected to last till 3^rd December. The meetings are planned to be held daily, with three sessions per day in order to fulfill the tasks within the term mentioned in the Presidential decree issued by Adly Mansour after Mohamed Morsy’s ouster and during the presenting of the military proposed roadmap for the political future and transitional period of Egypt.

Egypt’s Constitutional committee to start its final discussions of the Constitution’s draft

Amr Moussa, chairman of Egypt's Constitutional Committee
(Image: Al Jazeera America)

Egypt’s 50-member Constitutional Committee formed in the framework of the Presidential decree issued by Adly Mansour after Mohamed Morsy’s ouster is on the final stage of drafting the new Constitution, according to the spokesperson and the official representatives.

The final week of negotiations of the committee started on Tuesday, 22 October, and is expected to last till the beginning of December, probably 3 December. This is the second phase of the working of the 50-member Constitutional Committee tasked with the drafting of the country’s national charter after 2012 Constitution was suspended as a part of the political roadmap for Egypt’s future issued by the Armed Forces.