Egypt’s new constitution – born amidst bloodshed – is starting to take shape, setting the stage for yet another confrontation within the country’s increasingly fragmented society. Officially, the new draft constitution mandated by the military-led interim government is yet to be released. In recent days, however, several academics and researchers have taken a look at the document before it becomes public. What they found is a constitution stripped of almost all the Islamist clauses inserted during the 1-year reign of President Mohamed Morsi. It also contains many of the same potentially authoritarian elements, leaving Egypt’s constitution once again facing criticism for doing little more than enshrining the powers of whichever group or institution happens to be in power when the document was drafted. Where the new constitution differs most significantly from the old one is on issues of Islam’s role in governance and law.
EGYPT’S DRAFT CONSTITUTION LIMITS ROLE OF ISLAM
Egypt’s new constitution – born amidst bloodshed – is starting to take shape, setting the stage for yet another confrontation within the country’s increasingly fragmented society. Officially, the new draft constitution mandated by the military-led interim government is yet to be released.
