Sameh Ashour, deputy head of the Advisory Council, urges election of an interim president in response to growing demands that SCAF hand over power to a civilian government.
In a Monday statement, Ashour outlined a plan for transferring power before the SCAF’s self-imposed deadline of 30 June.
"The initiative includes five points, including the election of an interim president for a period of one year, in the event that the new constitution fails to be adopted prior to the date set for the presidential elections," according to the statement.
Ashour said his suggestion does not reflect the Lawyers Syndicate’s or the Advisory Council’s position on the matter. Ashour serves as head of the Lawyers Syndicate.
He went on to say that the Advisory Council will offer its own suggestions, which may include some items from his plan.
The public is interested in "shortening the transition phase and in ensuring representation in the constituent assembly, and it fears the transition period will end without approval of a constitution," he said.
Ashour proposed amending the constitutional declaration currently ruling the country so that "members of the People's Assembly alone, without the Shura Council, would select the members of the constituent assembly.”
He explained that this would allow the country to form the assembly now, rather than after Shura Council elections end next month.
Ashour said the constituent assembly should be formed based on the percentage of seats each party has in the People’s Assembly. He suggested that for every 30 MPs a party has, they should choose two members of the assembly, but each party could choose a maximum of 10 members. Parties with less than 30 seats would be able choose one member.
“The remaining members would be chosen by civil society forces, by virtue of their positions as heads of professional associations, trade and farmers unions, universities, the judiciary system and constitutional law departments in various universities,” he explained.
"The constituent assembly will draft the Constitution within a month of its formation, and it will be subject to a referendum by the end of March,” said Ashour. “Any disputes over this period should be presented to the Constitutional Court’s General Assembly, whose decision will be enforceable within 48 hours.”
He added that nominations for an interim president could begin on 30 June if the public declines to approve the Constitution.
Translated from Al-Masry Al-Youm
