Minister of Information: Civil Society Institutions are welcome to monitor the vote

Minister of Information Mr. Annas al-Fiqqi said he welcomed the participation of all civil society institutions and NGOs in monitoring the vote in the referendum over the Constitutional amendments, which he added would ensure the society's supervision of the process.

Al-Fiqqi said that all facilities will be provided to correspondents to help them accomplish their mission. More than 300 reporters from all over the world are covering the event. Television correspondents, he added, would report live from voting stations nation-wide to ensure transparency.

The press center would be open throughout the day with the Spokesmen of the Ministries of Justice and the Interior taking turns at answering questions and reporting on the vote. Telephone lines, internet and faxes are also available.

Al-Fiqqi expressed belief that Egyptians will turn out in great numbers to take part in the referendum adding that the media campaign launched since the Constitutional amendments were introduced to Parliament on December 26, 2006 totaled around 1000 air hours on both radio and television. The opposition parties' share of talk shows is estimated at 36 per cent.

Following is the Press statement in full.

The Minister of Information

  • Civil Society Institutions and NGOs are welcome to monitor the vote and will be offered all facilities.

  • Objective and neutral media supervision ensures society's monitoring of the referendum.
  • The media campaign has exceeded 1000 hours of debate on modernizing the Constitution in both radio and Television.
  • Opposition parties have participated in 36 percent of talk shows.
  • 300 Egyptian and Arab reporters are expected to cover the referendum.
  • The Ministry of Information will provide all needed facilities.
  • TV correspondents all over the country will cover the events of the referendum both objectively and transparently.

As part of implementing the electoral platform which won him the ballot of the voters in Egypt's first multi-candidate election, President Hosni Mubarak requested, in a letter to the People's Assembly and Shura Council dated December 26, 2006, that 34 Articles of the 1971 Constitution be amended.

The purpose of the amendments is:

  • To consolidate the principle of citizenship.
  • To reinforce the Parliament's role in bringing the government to account.
  • To support political parties.
  • To develop a system of supervising elections.
  • To increase the powers of the Council of Ministers and curb the authorities of the President.
  • To boost the independence of the Judiciary.
  • To abolish exceptional conditions and protect citizens' security.
  • To make the text of the Constitution compatible with the contemporary social and economic conditions.
  • To enhance decentralization and assert the role of localities.

Debates were thus held in which all social categories, legislative institutions, and the entire spectrum of Egypt's political and intellectual trends as well as public figures were represented. Hearing sessions have also taken place at the People's Assembly – PA – and Shura Council – SC – in which academicians, law experts and representatives of civil society and of parties with no Parliament membership freely spoke their minds.

Several in-depth discussions over proposed drafts were also held:

  • December 26, 2006: The PA holds a special session to discuss the amendments, and later refers them to the General Committee – GC – for an in-principle approval.
  • January 6 & 8, 2007: Morning and evening meetings are held; a quorum of two thirds of GC members attends the first two on January 6; while all members attend the two meetings of January 8. The GC approves the amendments in principle.
  • The PA discusses the GC report in five sessions, approves the amendments in principle, and refers it to the Constitutional and Legislative Committee – CLC – as per Article 118 of the People's Assembly Internal Organizational Rules. A letter is sent to Mr. Safwat al-Sharif, the SC Speaker, including the PA approval of the amendments in principle, with an attached report of the SC CLC over the proposed amendments in addition to preparing a report including a draft of the amendments during two months from the date of reference.
  • PA speaker Dr. Fathi Sorour receives 109 proposed drafts from MPs of the National Democratic Party, 4 drafts from al-Wafd Party and 99 drafts from independent MPs. The speaker also refers written views to the General Secretariat. These are: 14 from political parties; 13 from other groups and 19 from public figures.
  • February 5, 2007: The PA CLC holds a meeting in which it looks into the President's request to amend 34 Articles of the Constitution.
  • At the meeting the CLC decides that it will hold hearing sessions (amounting to 13) with the purpose of probing the opinions of law professors, experts and public figures. The meetings are chaired by PA Speaker Fathi Sorour; 14 professors of Constitutional Law, public figures and representatives of the National Woman's Council take the floor.
  • The CLC holds 4 meetings in which 49 MPs with proposed drafts speak. A sub-committee is formed to prepare a preliminary draft of the proposed amendments. The sub-committee is presided by Dr Amaal Othman; the chief of the CLC and with the membership of Omar Taher and Ibrahim Al Gogary; the deputies of the CLC, Omar Hareedy; the secretary of the CLC; Dr Abd El Ahad Gamal El Deen; the parliamentary representative of the NDP, Mahmoud Abaza, the parliamentary representative of Al Wafd Party; Kamal Ahmad; an independent, Counsellor Mohamed Al Dakroury and Dr Mohamed Ramzy Al Sha'er.
  • The sub-committee holds 4 meetings at the end of which it approves a draft of the amendments required and prepares a preliminary report.
  • The CLC holds 4 meetings to discuss the draft amendments, which are approved by the majority after introducing a number of changes.
  • The SC CLC reviews the drafts submitted by its PA equivalent. The SC has earlier approved the drafts of 30 articles. Meanwhile, it has deemed essential that changes be introduced to draft articles 62, 74, 194 and 195.
  • The majority of CLC members approve the final draft, after long in-depth discussions.
  • At the session held on Monday, March 19, 2007, PA members approved the amendments of the 34 Articles. The decision was endorsed by a majority of 315 members. However, while 28 representatives rejected the draft, 88 independents staged a walk-away. All parties and intellectual trends stand in agreement over 32 articles. Only those articles on the anti-terror law and exercising political rights have triggered a controversy.
  • Since President Mubarak took the initiative of calling for the Constitutional amendments, the media has launched a campaign whose purpose, besides deepening the inter-societal dialogue, is to raise public awareness of the importance of the Constitution and the necessity of their positive participation in discussions over the proposed amendments.
  • Radio and television coverage totaled some 1034.08 air hours from December 26, 2006 until March 21, 2007. Coverage included spots, news items and talk shows, in which political parties, civil society institutions, public figures, law experts and academicians took part.
  • NDP representatives have participated in 38 percent of these shows; the opposition in 36 percent and law experts and academicians in 26 percent.

The campaign included:

(1) Publishing public opinion analysis periodicals.

(2) Launching a presently much-trafficked SIS website, providing round-the-clock information on the modernization of the Egyptian Constitution.

(3) Setting up an operations room.

(4) Holding seminars throughout the country.

As soon as the Republican Decree was promulgated calling upon people to cast their vote in the election over the amendments on Monday, March 26, 2007, the Ministry of Information - MOI - set up an operations room to raise public election awareness:

(1) An election guide was launched on the internet and published in the national, party and independent newspapers.

(2) A media campaign was launched to encourage people to cast their votes.

(3 ) Programs were broadcast to familiarize the public with the suitable way to cast their vote and with the articles in their final form.

Spots are being intensively aired on all channels urging individuals to turn out on the day of the referendum and guiding them through the voting process.

A press center has also been set up catering for Arab and foreign correspondents and providing facilities to help them access balloting stations to report on the vote. 300 correspondents, Egyptian, Arab and foreign have already been registered.

In this context, MOI welcomes the efforts of the civil society and NGOs in monitoring the vote. All facilities required to achieve this goal will be made available.

To ensure transparency of the voting process, television correspondents will be reporting live from voting stations near and far throughout the country.

We are all confident that Egyptians will positively participate in the referendum.

The Press Center will be open on Sunday March 25, 2007 and tomorrow Monday March 26, 2007. The official spokesmen of the Ministries of Justice and Interior will take turns to report on the vote and answer questions. Telephone lines, internet, faxes and other facilities are available.


 
MODERNIZING THE CONSTITUTION OF EGYPT UP