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22 Key Points in Egypt's New Draft Constitution

Newly released amendments to Egypt's suspended 2012 constitution adjust several articles of this Islamist-penned document.
A supporter of Muslim Brotherhood and ousted Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi wrapped in an Egyptian flag sits on top of power pole during a protest in Cairo August 23, 2013. Mass protests called by Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood mostly failed to materialise on Friday as the movement reeled from a bloody army crackdown on followers of Mursi. REUTERS/Muhammad Hamed (EGYPT - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST) - RTX12UJ2

Following days of quite debatable leaks, the first draft of the suggested amendments to Egypt’s suspended 2012 Constitution, which was effectively drafted by the Muslim Brotherhood and Islamists, has finally come to light. 

The proposed amendments are the result of the work of a 10-person committee of judicial experts and members of the judiciary, all chosen by the legal and educational entities they represent according to the constitutional declaration governing Egypt following Morsi’s ouster on July 3. These amendments will then be submitted for review to a still-unformed 50-person committee that would theoretically represent Egyptian society as a whole. The final say over what goes into the amendments will be, as things stand, in the hands of the 10-person committee, while the mini-assembly will mainly submit its opinions and demands, which do not appear binding according to the text of the current constitutional charter. Recent rhetoric suggests a potential drive toward further empowering the 50-person assembly to better improve the image of this being the result of a more democratic process.

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