Egypt's president make divisive new charter legally binding shortly
after referendum result showing more than 60% support
[ندعوك للتسجيل في المنتدى أو التعريف بنفسك لمعاينة هذا الرابط], Wednesday 26 December 2012
[ندعوك للتسجيل في المنتدى أو التعريف بنفسك لمعاينة هذه الصورة] [ندعوك للتسجيل في المنتدى أو التعريف بنفسك لمعاينة هذا الرابط]'s controversial new constitution has been signed into law
by President Mohammed Morsi, a day after he announced it
had been approved by a large majority in a referendum that
his opponents claim was marked by widespread irregularities.
Critics say the new constitution, which was hurriedly drafted
by Morsi's
[ندعوك للتسجيل في المنتدى أو التعريف بنفسك لمعاينة هذا الرابط] and its Salafist allies, is undemocratic
and too Islamist, and that it could allow clerics to intervene
in the lawmaking process and leave minority groups
without proper legal protection.
Results of the two-part referendum, announced on Tuesday,
showed that an overwhelming 63.8% of Egyptians had approved the text,
paving the way for a parliamentary elections in about two months.
The result is the Islamists' third straight electoral victory
since the country's former autocratic leader
, Hosni Mubarak, was toppled last year.
The referendum passed, however, on a low
turnout of 32.9% of Egypt's 52 million eligible voters, amid allegations –
rejected by Morsi's supporters
– that "fake judges" had supervised some of the polling.
In his first address to the nation of 84 million since the adoption
of the new constitution, Morsi said it was time for all political forces
to put aside their differences and start working together
to bring stability. "I will make all efforts, together with you,
to push forward the economy, which faces huge challenges
and has great opportunities to grow," he said in a televised speech.
"The coming days will witness, God willing, the launch
of new projects ... and a package of incentives for investors
to support the Egyptian market and the economy,"
In a news conference on Tuesday night, Sami Abu al-Maati,
the head of the country's electoral commission,
rejected claims by the largely secular opposition
that the vote had been rigged.
According to a spokesman for Egypt's presidency,
Morsi signed the decree, making the constitution
legally binding late on Tuesday night.
Although the new legal framework was supposed to be
the cornerstone of the country's transition to democracy
, its drafting has been deeply divisive. A number of key groups,
including Coptic Christians and secular liberals,
withdrew from the drafting process, saying it had been
hijacked by the Muslim Brotherhood and its allies.
For his part, Morsi has tried to argue that adopting the text quickly
was crucial to ending a protracted period of turmoil and uncertainty
in Egypt that had badly damaged the country's economy.
Hours before the referendum result was announced,
the authorities imposed a ban on travelling in or out of the country
with more than $10,000 (£6,200) in foreign currency,
a move apparently intended to halt capital flight.
The rules were introduced after some Egyptians began withdrawing
their savings from banks in fear of tougher currency restrictions.
After the announcement that the new constitution
had been signed into law, Morsi moved quickly to swear in new members
of the country's shura council – the upper house of parliament –
which he protected from dissolution by decree last month.
The council currently includes 270 members, 90 of whom
were appointed by Morsi on Monday, and will have legislative
authority until a new lower house of parliament is elected.
The Islamist-dominated council is expected to draft a law regulating
the forthcoming parliamentary elections. Other items on the agenda
may include laws on protests and the media. Top of the agenda,
however, will be the country's economic woes.
The government has begun a series of meetings with business people
, trade unions, non-governmental organisations and other groups
to convince them of the need for tax increases
and spending cuts to resolve the financial crisis.
"The government calls on the people not to worry about
the country's economy," the parliamentary affairs minister,
Mohamed Mahsoub, said in a speech to the council.
"We are not facing an economic problem but a political one,
and it is affecting the economic situation. We therefore urge all groups,
opponents and brothers, to achieve wide reconciliation and consensus."
Morsi will address the council on Saturday in a speech
that is likely to be dominated by economic policy.
موضوع: Mohamed Morsi signs Egypt's new constitution into law 
