I followed up attentively the proposals of the el-Wafd Party over the constitutional amendments. El-Wafd proposals include many objective points which should be taken into consideration on the part of the People's Assembly and the Shura Council while discussing the amendments. Regarding Article 88 of the Constitution, el-Wafd Party suggested the formation of a higher committee for elections to assume the whole electoral process. The committee is to consist of nine members of the current and former members of the judicial bodies.

The committee would specify the poll stations in which the voters will cast ballots and it will choose a head for every poll station from the judges who will count the votes and announce the results.

By doing so, el-Wafd Party benefited from the experience of the presidential elections regarding the judicial supervision over the elections and holding them on one day. This is a moderate formula which might be accepted by all the political powers including the ruling party itself.

El-Wafd Party wants the judicial supervision and it wants to hold the one-day elections. The vision of el-Wafd Party concerning Articles 136 and 141 related to dissolving the People's Assembly and the nomination of the Prime Minister, the ministers and their deputies drew my attention too. This is to terminate the limitless powers granted to the President of the Republic in this regard.

I think that the political parties and the different powers should follow in the footsteps of el-Wafd Party and present their proposals over the constitutional amendments.

Abdul Mohsen Salama
Al-Ahram
21/2/2007