Panel formed to reform Egypt’s constitution

Protesters dismiss Vice President Omar Suleiman’s roadmap.

CAIRO: Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak issued a decree on Tuesday forming an 11-member committee to amend controversial constitutional clauses ahead of elections due later this year, even as resolute demonstrators in Tahrir Square put up one of the biggest protests yet against his regime.

The focus is on Articles 76 and 77, which put severe restrictions on potential presidential candidates and do not define limits on the six-year terms that a president can be elected for. The opposition has also called for the amendment of Article 88, which states that the judiciary will supervise parliamentary elections; the terms of the article have been cited as vague and do not provide the judiciary with enough authority, making their roles essentially ineffective.

But despite the establishment of a committee, opposition groups are not responsive to the move and have maintained that the committee is just another ploy by the government to buy time until they can get a hold on the situation.  Some have accused the government of selecting biased judges as well, such as Judge Serri Siam, who has traditionally backed President Mubarak.  However, there are other judges in the committee who have opposed the president and his regime.

As it stands, the constitution and Egypt’s political system permit extensive power to the president, therefore limiting the input or room for any other political entities.  Further restrictions were put on potential candidates and opposition with the amendment of Article 76 in 2005 and other amendments in 2007.  The current constitution does not give much room for changes if Mubarak leaves.

Thousands gathered in the meantime outside the so-called “borders” set up by the military around Midan Tahrir.  Walking on the Corniche near the Kasr El Nile Bridge leading to Tahrir gives the impression that the protest is not in Cairo, as young Egyptian protesters socialize loudly in English with painted faces and Egyptian flags.  The crowds include young students, most of who are not at school or university because they have been postponed until the unrest subsides.  Inside the square, barbers have set up shop, while women sit on the sidewalks selling tissues and cigarettes at inflated prices.  There is obvious diversity of those participating in the demonstrations.

A significant number of the protesters were inspired by Google executive Wael  Ghonim’s appearance on a talk show Monday night, when he cried for the victims who were killed in the violence.  He told protesters that they “are the heroes. I am not a hero, you are the heroes,” on Tuesday as he stood in the square.  Now, Wael Ghonim is being requested to be the official representative for the young protesters, who have refused to align themselves with any political opposition movement.  The protesters continued yelling “leave!” in regards to President Mubarak and moved increasingly towards the House of Parliament, where they stood downtown with the intention to keep its members from getting to the building.

Vice President Omar Suleiman tried to reach out to protesters, stating that the president is pushing for a peaceful transition. However, it appears that his statement did not carry much weight with the demonstrators.

Mystery van

The country’s media continued to focus on the US embassy van that killed between 14 and 20 people on January 28 during the protests. There have been increasing calls for an investigation into the incident, amid speculation of US government intervention. The bullet-proof van, which appears to have intentionally driven into a crowd of people in downtown Cairo, drove off in a frenzy.  The US Embassy issued a statement saying that 20 such vehicles were stolen on Friday January 28th and that “no embassy employees or diplomats were involved” in the incident.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 9^th, 2011.