MRG urges Egypt to give Constitution drafting process more time
| Publisher | Minority Rights Group International |
| Publication Date | 30 November 2012 |
| Cite as | Minority Rights Group International, MRG urges Egypt to give Constitution drafting process more time, 30 November 2012, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/55fbe03f3e.html [accessed 29 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
Minority Rights Group International (MRG) expresses serious concern about Thursday's approval of the Draft Constitution by Egypt's Constituent Assembly. Egypt's President Morsi has stated that he will now organise a popular referendum to ratify the draft.
Roughly a third of the Assembly had resigned over the past months, protesting against the dominance of a political voting bloc promoting an Islamic conception of State and Society. The members who resigned were predominantly from Liberal or Socialist parties, or belonging to the Coptic Christian Church, as well as representatives of ethnic minorities. Religious and ethnic minorities of Egypt were either never included in the Assembly, or have now withdrawn.
The current version of the Constitution is utterly inadequate regarding freedom of religion, rights of ethnic minorities, women's rights and other human rights protections. "The drafting of a Constitution should involve a fair and thorough process of consultation with all sectors of society, including women, religious and ethnic minorities," stated Carl Soderbergh, Director of Policy and Communications at MRG.
MRG urges the government of Egypt to extend the Constitution drafting process to enable a generally accepted consensus to emerge. The process should be led by a body representing all groups of society, and should involve wide public consultation.
