Amcham Roundtable Speakers: Next Revolution Is Social, Constitution’s Reform is a Must
On the sidelines of a roundtable organized by the American Chamber of Commerce in Cairo entitled “The constitution Controversy … What’s Next?” – Judge Tahani El Gebali, Vice President of the Supreme Constitutional Court, has warned against the danger of having the third part of the Revolution which it would be a social one.
“In case of not finding solutions for the deteriorated economic conditions and particularly for the middle-class category’s problems, we will face a dangerous social revolution.” Gebali added
“It is important to draw up our constitution as a major political action which would bring a new legality for the country especially after the revolution.”
El Gebali also emphasized on the importance of working on correcting the previous mistakes and on solving the society defects for which the revolution has been erupted.
In the meanwhile, Dr. Ahmed Kamal Aboul Magd – Professor of Public Law at the Faculty of Law at Cairo University, has said the way of ruling Egypt lacks order amid the state of confusion the Egyptian society is facing nowadays.
“This state of confusion is due to an unprecedented technology revolution which has a widespread impact on the whole the Arab region.” Aboul Magd added
“The state of confusion we are currently face is due to the fact that the revolution has been erupted to get rid of the old regime with its all defects without considering what to do next … Which plans to be taken to rebuild the country.”
Aboul Magd also added that the revolution could not find specific leaderships.
Aboul Magd added that the transitional period has been ruling by three authorities. The first authority is the Supreme Council for Armed Forces (SCAF) which lacks the efficiency to deal with the civil issues and problems. The second authority is the cabinet which since the revolution has been working on the margins and lacks the power of decision taking. The third authority is the intellectuals Group.
“It is a problem of communication and of having mutual trust among the three authorities amid lacking real leaderships for the revolution from the beginning.”
Dr. Gaber Nassar, the Professor of Constitutional Law and Vice Dean in the Faculty of Law at Cairo University, has stressed the necessity of having a constitution as it would be the revolution’s real fruit.
“To have a well-drafted constitution is the only hope for getting out of that phase of injustice and tyranny in which Egyptians have lived for years. It is the path of starting a new phase of democracy and freedom.” Nassar added
“Nations’ flourishing and downfalls are based on having a well-drafted or ill-drafted constitution.”
“If the revolution was not able to draw up a new constitution, it would be then worthless.”
Moreover, Ahmed Abou Ali – the chair of the Legal Affairs Committee of the American Chamber of Commerce – said drawing up the constitution is the Egyptians’ real challenge because it is not quite easy to change constitution as it can take many years.
“Unlikely, the selection Egypt’s head of state is not the dilemma as it only takes four-year presidential term to change him.” Abou Ali added
“We must make sure that the new constitution would secure freedoms and citizenship rights.”
