In a Slow Motion Towards a Constitution

News from the Egyptian Street and Media Translated Without Comment from Arabic into English As a Public Service
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In his seminal book in Arabic, The Future of Culture in Egypt, the great Egyptian philosopher, Dr. Taha Hussein wrote: "Power derives from the people.  That power does not issue from either ignorance, or distraction, or stupidity.  Nor does it issue form submissiveness, nor servitude."  (p.94)

He was blind, a graduate of Al-Azhar University (The Glorious), educated also in France, married a French woman, and became in the late 1940s Egypt's Minister of Education.  Above all, he was the father of free education including university education, as he espoused the principle that constitutionalism and democracy needed for their protection an educated public.  Taha Hussein saw clearly, though he was blinded since age 5, the indelible link between liberty and education.

Now with the resurrection of democracy in Egypt from the ashes of military rule from 1952 to 2011 (Mubarak was made to abdicate power on February 11, a mere 9 months ago today), Egypt, in a slow motion, is inching towards the drafting of a new constitution for a secular Egypt.

In spite of that slow motion, the excitement is palpable.  On November 10, I received the following email:

"Dear All:  I am very proud today that I was able to register myself to vote abroad in the upcoming elections.  The process was very easy and did not take more than 5 minutes.  Hurry up!!"

That email was sent to many persons including myself by a young physician (radiologist), Dr. Osama Raslan, a friend and the son of friends.  It was in reference to the parliamentary elections which will take place later this month in all the 27 provinces of Egypt.  In these elections, 38 political parties are competing in a broad spectrum from liberals to Islamists emerging from the suppression of military rule.  And what a rainbow of diversity!!

What is emblematic about that forward motion, from parliamentary election, to a constituent assembly, to drafting the new constitution for post-Mubarak Egypt is that the present Cabinet of Egypt includes a Deputy Prime Minister, Dr. Aly Al-Salami.  His portfolio is entitled "Democratic Change and Political Development."  In his attempt to convene a conference of all the parties competing in the upcoming parliamentary elections, the Deputy Prime Minister was rebuffed by the "Freedom and Justice Party" which has spun off the Muslim Brotherhood.  Said the Secretary-General  of the FJP, Dr. Saad El-Katatni that all Islamist-oriented parties (which include 4 parties made up of Salafis -the farthest to the right of those Islamic groupings):

"This is an attempt to confuse public opinion by busying it with principles intended to freeze the upcoming drafting of the new constitution within the framework of those principles.  It is a sabotage of the popular will."

The secular parties disagreed.  They were led by the historic party Al-Wafd (akin to the Congress Party of India) which hoisted the banner of Egypt's independence from Great Britain in the Revolution of 1919.  They said that the proposed conference will have before it no less than eight documents dealing with "Constitutional Guidelines."  The sources of these documents are diverse, including one authored, for debate, by the Supreme Military Council which governs Egypt at present on an interim basis.

The essential debate is driven by the fear of sabotaging the march of the new Egypt towards democracy, dignity and development (the 3 Ds).  Thus the opposition to those constitutional guidelines can be seen from the lense of suspicion of authority engrained in the public psyche over more than half a century of army rule.  The term "guidelines" was read "trusteeship."

Egypt's road map towards constitutionalism have these road signs: from parliamentary elections this November; to a new Parliament; to the selection by the new House of Representatives (Majlis Al-Shaab: the People's House) of a hundred "personalities" forming the Constituent Assembly; to the drafting within 6 months from the date of convening the Constituent Assembly of the new post-Mubarak constitution; to a plebiscite to be held within 15 days of completion of that draft on a consensual basis for its approval; then finally to the promulgation of the new constitution.

Against this background, the voice of secular Egypt was raised by one of the new parties "Al-Messriyoun Al-Ahrar -the Free Egyptians" established by Naguib Saweeris, a prominent Copt.

A member of the Political Bureau of the AA, Dr. Muhammad Hamid declared: "There is fear from any form of control or domination by the extreme religious right over the Constituent Assembly!!"  Then in support of the preparation of guidelines for that Assembly as of now, Dr. Hamid added: "We need a constitution which provides for a secular State, for the protection of civil rights and liberties including the protection of minorities, and for principles reflecting a broad consensus."

STAY TUNED!! WATCH FOR THE ACCELERATION OF THAT SLOW MOTION