When President Mubarak put forth his proposals for amending the Constitution, he was, at the same time, invoking a wide-ranging public debate prior to the referendum soon to be held by inviting all state agencies and civil society institutions to provide their vision of what Articles in the Constitution they deem as deserving change.

The result of the referendum will change proposals into actual facts, both acceptable and binding. It is essential, however, that enough time be provided for Egyptians to understand the implications of the proposed amendments. All writings and views covering the various attitudes, even if contradictory, should be made available to them with the purpose of helping them form an opinion.

A process of enlightenment is therefore required for those with the most interest in endorsing those amendments. They should realize there is need for adding paragraphs to articles and/or introducing changes to others. The fact is that the Constitution, in terms of its articles, expresses the country's interactive political and social conditions.

There exists an umbilical cord between debating proposals for amendments and the people's decision to be made in the referendum. The strength of this relationship is the by-product of exploring the opinion of the intelligentsia; a group burdened with the repercussions of change.

More important than the Constitutional amendments themselves is the vitality of our political life. People should be able to regain confidence and to participate in the political process.

Atef Al-Ghamri
Al-Ahram
January 17, 2007