The majority of political powers have responded positively to a proposal to elect 75 percent of the members of the Constituent Assembly from outside Parliament, MP Wahid Abdel Maguid has said.
Abdel Maguid told Al-Masry Al-Youm that Al-Sayed al-Badawy, head of the liberal Wafd Party, submitted the proposal.
He said efforts are under way to hold a workshop within hours that would represent various political orientations. Participants are expected to submit a proposal for the assembly formation ahead of a Thursday meeting of the People’s Assembly and Shura Council speakers with the heads of parties and parliamentary blocs.
People’s Assembly Speaker Saad al-Katatny postponed the meeting originally scheduled for Tuesday.
The remaining quarter of Constituent Assembly members would be comprised of the heads of parliamentary blocs and the speakers of both houses of Parliament. Another proposal would have parties in Parliament nominate representatives to the assembly that could be legislators or from outside Parliament.
Meanwhile, the Free Egyptians, Egyptian Socialist Democratic and Tagammu parties announced that they would boycott the meeting in rejection of its postponement and the lack of representation of syndicates, Al-Azhar and the Coptic Orthodox Church. They called for a parallel meeting Thursday to agree on new criteria for selecting Constituent Assembly members.
Independent MP Mostafa Bakry said Katatny delayed the meeting because of the resumption of parliamentary sessions. He said party chiefs will meet with Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi again Sunday to reach a final agreement on how the Constituent Assembly will take shape.
Lawmakers from both houses will then hold a joint session to elect members of the Constituent Assembly.
Mohamed Emad Eddin, a Freedom and Justice Party MP, said some members of the party’s parliamentary bloc believe Katatny should not be named head of the Constituent Assembly, particularly because he is “overburdened with responsibilities.”
Translated from Al-Masry Al-Youm
