Opponents of the Constituent Assembly have rejected President Mohamed Morsy's invitation for a dialogue, arguing that his call "lacks the clarity and mechanisms that ensure its earnestness."
Presidential spokesperson Yasser Ali had said in earlier press statements that Morsy planned to hold a meeting with party leaders, politicians and revolutionary groups.
Political groups voiced their objection to the first draft of the constitution released by the Constituent Assembly last week. They made a statement during a press conference at the Journalists Syndicate late Tuesday saying the draft flagrantly violates the rights and freedoms of citizens, especially the provisions that handle women and children's rights, social justice, presidential powers and judicial independence.
The conference comes hours after the Administrative Court halted on Tuesday the consideration of nearly 43 lawsuits to dissolve the Constituent Assembly over the illegality of its formation. The court referred the law regulating the election of assembly members to the Supreme Constitutional Court.
Despite turning down the president's call for political conversation, the groups said the lack of national consensus over the Constituent Assembly requires "a serious national dialogue" that can set objective criteria for a balanced assembly. Representatives of the Popular Current, an alliance of secular political parties, Constitution Party, the Egyptian Social Democratic Party and the Popular Socialist Alliance Party attended the press conference.
Constitution Party founder Mohamed ElBaradei had held a closed meeting before the conference to coordinate positions on the constitutional draft. He left immediately before the press conference and declined to give a statement.
