Nominees for Egypt's 50-member constitution committee

[DJKeefy]

Who's Who: Nominees for Egypt's 50-member constitution committee.

Presidential spokesman Ihab Badawi has announced on Sunday afternoon the names of the 50 member-committee tasked with amending the suspended 2012 constitution.

Below is the 50 members of the committee commissoned with draft the amended version of the 2012 constitution:

1.Diaa Rashwan (journalists): Head of Egypt's Syndicate of Journalists and Head of Al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies.

2.Mona Zul-Fekar (human rights): A lawyer and Deputy Head of the National Council for Human Rights.

3.Mohamed Magd El-Deen (armed forces): Vice president of the military judiciary.

4.El-Sayed Badawi (liberal parties): A prominent businessman and Head of the liberal Wafd Party.

5.Mohamed Abul-Ghar (liberal parties): Head of the Egyptian Social Democratic Party and co-founder of the National Salvation Front.

6.Gaber Nassar (public figures): Law professor and Head of Cairo University.

7.Mohamed Salmawy (writers): Head of Egypt's Writers Union.

8.Bassam El-Zarqa (Islamist currents): Deputy Head of the Salafist Nour Party.

9.Amr Moussa (public figures): Head of the liberal Conference Party and co-founder of the National Salvation Front.

10.Sameh Ashour (lawyers): Head of the Lawyers' Syndicate, Head of the Nasserist Party, and co-founder of the National Salvation Front.

11.Shawky Allam (Al-Azhar): Egypt's Grand Mufti.

12.Bishop Paula (Coptic Church): Bishop of the city of Tanta and Head of the Coptic Orthodox Council for Marital Affairs.

13.Mervat El-Talawy (National Council for Women): Head of the National Council for Women.

14.Mohamed Abdel-Aziz (youth movement): Founding member of Tamarod Campaign and member of the Nasserist Popular Current.

15.Ahmed Eid (youth movement): Founding member of the 30 June Front.

16.Mahmoud Badr (youth movement): Founding member of Tamarod Campaign.

17.Amr Salah (youth movement): Founding member of the 30 June Front.

18.Mohamed Abla (artists): A prominent painter.

19.Sayed Hegab (High Council for Culture): A prominent poet.

20.Khaled Youssef (artists): A prominent filmmaker and member of the Nasserist Popular Current.

21.Gebali El-Maraghi (workers): Head of Egypt's Trade Unions Federation.

22.Ahmed Khairy (workers): Head of the National Federation of Egypt's Workers.

23.Mohamed Abdel-Kader (famers): Head of Farmers' Syndicate.

24.Mamdouh Hamada (farmers): Head of Egypt's Farmers Co-operatives Union.

25.Khairy Abdel-Dayem (doctors): Head of Doctors' Syndicate.

26.Osama Shawky (engineers): Head of Cairo's branch of Engineers' Syndicate.

27.Elhamy El-Zayat (tourism chambers): Head of Union of Tourism Chambers.

28.Abla Mohie El-Din (industrial chambers): Consultant for the Ministry of the Industry.

29.Ahmed El-Wakil (chambers of commerce): Head of Union of Commerce Chambers.

30.Mostafa Badran (students): Head of Egypt's University Students Union.

31.Talaat Abdel-Kawy (non-governmental organizations): Head of General Federation of Non-Governmental Organizations.

32.Azza El-Ashmawy (National Council for Childhood and Motherhood): Director of the Anti-Trafficking Unit at the National Council for Childhood and Motherhood.

33.Ahmed Mohamadein (Supreme Council for Universities): Head of Suez Canal University.

34.Hossam El-Massah (special needs): National Council for Special Needs.

35.Ali Mohamed Abdel-Moula (Ministry of Interior): Interior Minister'sAssistant for Legal Affairs.

36.Kamal El-Helbawy (Islamist currents): A prominent Islamist thinker and writer and ex-leading Brotherhood figure.

37.Hussein Abdel-Razek (leftist current): Deputy Head of the leftist Tagammu Party.

38.Mohamed Sami (nationalist current): Head of the Nasserist Karama Party.

39.Magdi Yacoub (public figure): A world renowned heart surgeon and founder of the Magdi Yacoub Heart Foundation.

40.Abdel-Gelil Mostafa (public figure): A leading member of the liberal Constitution Party and a Co-founder of the National Salvation Front.

41.Amr El-Shobaky (public figure): A prominent political analyst and head of the Arab-European Unit at Al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic studies.

42.Saad El-Din El-Helali (public figure): Comparative Jurisprudence professor at the Azhar University.

43.Hoda El-Sada (public figure): Literature Professor at the Cairo University.

44.Mohamed Ghoneim (public figure): Co-founder of the Egyptian Social Democratic Party; a renowned Urology professor.

45.Hagag Adol (public figure – Nubian): A writer.

46.Mossad Abou-Fagr (public figure – Sinai): Writer and activist.

47.Mohamed Abdel-Salam (Al-Azhar): A judge and consultant of Al-Azhar Grand Imam.

48.Abdullah Mabrouk El-Naggar (Al-Azhar): A professor at the Islamic Sharia and Law Faculty of Al-Azhar University.

49.Bishop Antonious Aziz Mina (Catholic Church): Bishop of the governorate of Giza.

50.Safwat El-Bayyady (Evangelical Church): President of the protestant community in Egypt.

Source: http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/80519.aspx

[Brian Yare]

This article reflects my original reaction that women were under-represented on the list. BY

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Secular political forces satisfied with Egypt's constitution-amending committee

Socialist Popular Alliance Party and Egyptian Social Democratic Party, among other political groups, say 50-member committee representative of Egyptian people; Salafist Nour Party critiques minimal Islamist representation

Ahram Online Zeinab El-Guindy, Monday 2 Sep 2013

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Egypt's newly formed 50-member constitution-amending committee has been mostly criticised by Islamist groups and praised by many secular political groups.

The makeup of the committee, announced Sunday by the presidency, includes only a few Islamists and critics of the ouster of ex-president Mohamed Morsi by the army on 3 July following mass popular protests.

Abdel Ghafar Shukr, the leader of the Socialist Popular Alliance Party, praised the new constitutional amendment committee in press statements on Monday, describing it as being representative of all Egyptians.

"Most of the committee's members have been elected through authorities and syndicates, like the representatives of the students unions, syndicates of journalists and lawyers, as well as the members of political parties," said the Leftist politician, adding that public figures selected for the committee also represent Egyptian society.

Ayman Abu-Ela, Secretary of Parliamentary Affairs in the Egyptian Social Democratic Party, expressed his complete satisfaction with the formation of the 50- member committee.

"The committee was chosen carefully when it comes to diversity," he said in a statement on Monday, praising the representation of youth in the committee.

However, Abu-Ela believes there should be a larger representation of women in the committee, which currently includes five women.

Mohamed Abu El-Ghar, leader of the Egyptian Social Democratic Party, is a member of the committee as a representative of liberal powers.

The 'Rebel' (Tamarod) group, which called for the 30 June nationwide protests that paved the way for the armed forces to topple Morsi, also praised the make-up of the 50-member constitution committee.

Mai Wahba, a spokesperson for the group, told Al-Ahram’s Arabic website on Monday that the committee was diverse and representative, saying that the anti-Morsi Rebel campaign's proposals have largely been met.

Two of the 'Rebel' campaign's founders, Mahmoud Badr and Mohamed Abdel-Aziz, have been included in the committee.

'Illegitimate'

On the other hand, the Salafist Nour Party filed a complaint in a statement earlier on Monday, saying that the newly formed constitutional committee marginalises the Islamist current. The party added that it is still evaluating the situation and "all options are on the table."

"The formation of the committee is really bad and reflects the domination of the leftist-Nasserist faction," the Nour statement reads.

The Nour Party has approved the roadmap that was announced by army-chief Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi following the removal of president Morsi from office.

The Salafist party has warned that eliminating certain articles from the suspended-2012 constitution concerning Sharia law is an attempt to move Egyptians away from their "Islamic identity."

Alaa Abu El-Nasr, general secretary of the Building and Development Party, the political arm of the ultra-conservative Al-Gama'a Al-Islamiyaa, has criticised the announcement of the 50-member committee's formation, saying that it does not give legitimacy to the current interim-government.

"The current regime does not have any democratic legitimacy. Our position following the ousting of president Morsi is clear; we consider the amendment of the constitution illegitimate," said the member of the Building and Development Party, adding that his party has refused any part in the committee.

"How could the people accept an unelected constituent assembly when the opposition in the time of president Morsi used to attack a constituent assembly chosen by an elected president," Abu El Nasr said.

The Building and Development Party and Al-Gama'a Al-Islamiyaa are founding members of the Muslim Brotherhood-led coalition.

The coalition, named the National Alliance to Support Legitimacy, has already declared its complete refusal to adhere to the roadmap announced by Egypt's interim government after the ousting of Morsi.

The Muslim Brotherhood, from which Morsi hails, has been critical of the suspension of the 2012 constitution and any moves to revise it since Morsi's ouster.

Presidential spokesman Ihab Badawi announced on Sunday the composition of the 50-member committee that has been tasked with amending the suspended 2012 constitution.

The committee will examine amendments drawn up by a separate group of legal experts formed in July, and is to produce a final draft of the constitution within 60 days.

Interim President Adly Mansour will then put the constitution to a national referendum within 30 days of receiving the final draft. It will become effective upon public approval.

The 2012 constitution was suspended as part of the roadmap put forth by the Egyptian armed forces, together with political groups and public figures.

Under Morsi, Egypt's non-Islamist political forces have repeatedly argued the suspended constitution was not representative of all layers of society and limited many freedoms, blaming the majority Islamist members of the outgoing constituent assembly for ignoring their recommendations.

http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent ... s-con.aspx