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Lollipops no longer have gum fillings and ice pops have vanished from the market. Young actor Ahmed Abdel Aziz no longer stars in TV soaps, and box office star Nadia al-Gendy has not starred in any movie since "Buono, buono", and the illuminated Amigo shoes are no longer all the craze, yet the 10-member expert committee is reproducing constitution articles that allow the military trial of civilians.
Why is everything beautiful being hijacked?
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The expert committee has decided that selecting the defense minister is a right for the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) which has to approve his choice. Paradoxically, in constitutions drafted by civil powers, it is the SCAF that picks its ministers and forces its choice on the elected president. This is what the experts think.
In the background I can see actor Salah Abdallah winking at Mohamed Sobhy and delivering his famous punchline, “You have what it takes!”.
The constitution, which is supposedly written by civil power, calls for incorporating the Armed Forces budget as a single, whole figure in the constitution. This is a unique article, that does not exist in the constitution of any civil democratic state.
“I do not mind getting kissed, so long as the screenplay calls for it,” says the actress.
Those who say night and day that there is no military rule are promoting articles that a civilian will only accept at gunpoint.
The scene of actor Abdel Moneim Ibrahim wearing the fake vanishing cap and asking villain Tawfiq al-Den innocently if he could still see him has never failed to make me laugh.
Everybody can see what you are doing. Everyone sees you, you are the only one failing to see yourself.
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The Journalists Syndicate rejects the fact that the 10-member expert committee has disregarded all the amendments proposed by the syndicate regarding the media and the press, most importantly those articles banning the confiscation of newspapers and cancelling freedom-restricting penalties in publishing-related cases. The syndicate believes the amendments will only produce a copy of the suspended 2012 constitution.
This is what a statement issued by the syndicate said. They reject all the amendments and believe they are a copy of the 2012 constitution.
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The 10-member committee failed to ban torture, and restricted the formation of new political parties, otherwise formed through notification in the suspended constitution.
The amended document also fails to state clearly that attacking protesters with live ammunition or birdshot is banned, and also failed to state that citizens have the right to elect governors.
According to the amendments, the state of emergency may be extended more than once with approval of the People’s Assembly, when the suspended constitution stated it could only be extended with a popular referendum. The state of emergency is also one of the exceptional cases during which the media could be censored in the new constitution while the suspended one restricted censorship to times of war.
It seems the Muslim Brotherhood were too liberal.
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There are things that we do in life only to remember that we should never do them again.
One of those things is writing a constitution tailored to needs.
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Talking about a civil Egypt is meaningless unless translated into procedural steps to safeguard rights.
We are told Mervat al-Tellawy, head of the National Council for Women, will write the revolution constitution. This must be a good opportunity to work with the counter revolution.
In the constitution committee, the president of the Tagammu and Wafd Parties were appointed, so how come they forgot to appoint the guy who founded the flowers family at Ain Shams University in 1977?
For some unknown reason, the constitution committee does not have any of former President Nasser's adherents such as Samy Sharaf and Abdel Hakim Amer.
In the old constitution amendment committee, Abdel Moneim al-Sawy was the representative of Copts and in the second one, Wafd Party Chief al-Sayyed al-Badawy is the representative of liberals. Oddly enough.
I am just wondering if that committee represents the people who took to the streets on 30 June or the forces that ousted Morsy from power on 3 July?
In the proposed constitution, military trial is a guaranteed right for all. Indeed, the 2012 constitution allowed military trials of civilians, but Mona Seif, an activist with No to Military Trials of Civilians, says the 10-member committee has proposed even worse articles in this concern.
Today, nobody mentions military-owned pasta factories or gas stations. While we considered the Brotherhood traitors for failing to address these issues, we are doing the same now.
Do I hear an evil laugh or am I just imagining things?
The constitution you are trying to avoid is the one you are actually writing. There are those who mistakenly believe the constitution will be drafted in their favor. It will not.
Do I see a little child thinking he is playing a video game even though he has not even inserted a coin?
For some reason, some believe that remaining silent will bolster their positions, while in fact, their silence will eventually play against them.
If you want to be the kidnapper, then probably it is you who will be kidnapped.
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Dear military officer,
You are more powerful now, I know, and like my colleague Aly al-Tayyeb said, the current balance of power will produce a constitution where the Armed Forces seems to be saying "The Armed Forces created the state and looks after it. The Egyptian people may live on Egyptian land required they preserve national security."
It is the meanness of every Brotherhood member who preferred their own interest and the pervert pleasure those senile members of the Guidance Bureau find in being oppressed that has granted military officers such power. They could have agreed to conduct early presidential elections and to amend the constitution.
At this moment, we do not exist, so write whatever articles you wish, but keep in mind that the lollipop no longer has gum, and the ice pop has vanished from the market and Nadia al-Gendy is no longer a grossing star.
Write and we will erase what you write, for nothing stays as it is.
