Egypt Reserve Constitution Committee Members Object To Ban On Sessions

The reserve members of the 50-member constitution committee held a meeting on Tuesday to discuss the growing push to ban them from attending the constitution-drafting discussion sessions.

Salah Abdel Maaboud, a reserve member in the constitution committee, told Al-Ahram’s Arabic website that the reserve members were waiting for a closed committee session to end in order to find out whether or not they will attend the upcoming sessions.

Earlier on Tuesday, security surrounding the Shura Council building where committee sessions are held banned the reserve members and the media from attending the first session. Tuesday’s session was slated to discuss and vote on draft constitution articles prepared in the first 30 days of committee work.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, Abdel Maaboud said that according to committee bylaws and the presidential decree that formed the constitutional committee, reserve members are allowed to attend all sessions and discussions, albeit without voting rights.

Abdel Maaboud added that constitution committee head Amr Moussa promised the reserve members that he would bring the matter up for resolution with the general committee.

A number of reserve members had presented Moussa a statement voicing their concerns on Monday.

After 30 days of subcommittee work to prepare the new draft constitution, the 50-member constitution committee began on Tuesday to discuss and vote on draft articles in a plenary session.

Source : Ahram