Egypt’s new constitution bans religious parties and puts more power in the hands of the military, according to a draft posted on state media.
Article 74 states that “citizens have the right to form political parties, but are not allowed to practice any political activity or form political parties on religious bases.”
The 50-member committee working on the new constitution unanimously approved the draft’s preamble. It now has to be put to a referendum.
The members are voting Sunday on each of the 246 draft articles item-by-item, the state-run al-Ahram Online reported. The painstaking process of approving the draft of the new constitution started Saturday.
Security forces, meanwhile, dispersed protesters who were demonstrating against Egypt’s anti-protest law.
Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel on Saturday called his Egyptian counterpart, Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, to express concerns over the law restricting demonstrations and protests, among others
Hagel told him that Egypt’s response to free expression will demonstrate the interim government’s commitment to a nonviolent democratic transition, according to a statement from the Pentagon.
Once the approval process is complete, the draft will be submitted to interim President Adli Mansour, who will set a date for the referendum.
The new constitution will replace the one suspended in 2011, al-Ahram reported.