On Sunday presidential hopeful Mohamed ElBaradei said he has agreed with Muslim Brotherhood leaders on criteria for selecting members of the panel that will draft Egypt's new constitution.
ElBaradei told the press that they agreed the panel should represent Egyptians from across the spectrum.
On Saturday, ElBaradei held a two-hour closed meeting with leaders from the Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice Party. Party Vice President Essam al-Erian and Secretary General Saad al-Katatny attended, but President Mohamed Morsy was notably absent.
ElBaradei said that in order to reassure Egyptians that no single group will monopolize the process of writing the constitution, the panel should not necessarily reflect the parliamentary majority.
He added that he believes the Brotherhood is participating effectively in the revolution and in the current process of development and reform.
"I want to emphasize that the Brotherhood wants to work with the Egyptian people and that the new constitution will represent the people," he went on. "If there are disagreements between us, those differences do not ruin amicability."
Erian, meanwhile, said participants in the meeting agreed on the paramount importance of democratic transition.
Ideological differences and party platforms should be brushed aside to achieve this, he said, emphasizing that the constitutional panel should reflect the various parts of society.
Translated from the Arabic Edition
