Dr. Mohammed Kamal, Secretary of Political Education of the National Democratic Party (NDP) held the first open dialogue with Egypt's Coptic youths on principles of the proposed constitution amendments.

Dialogue covered all points in which youths asked about principle of citizenship, equality among Egyptians in rights and duties, strengthening the role of parliament and parties, judiciary supervision, women rights, supporting the independence of the judiciary authority, terror-combating law and others of hot issues concerning modernization of Egypt's constitution.

About judiciary supervision, Dr. Kamal spoke about confrontations regarding judiciary supervision on each balloting box, particularly in case of high numbers of voters who reach 9.1 million voters yearly as well as low number of judges.

On the citizenship principle, Kamal said that it means that we are all Egyptians and equal in front of law in all duties and rights, whatever their religions, sects or doctrine.

Dr. Kamal reiterated that Article 5 of the constitution mentions about the multi-partisans and President Mubarak proposed to add a new paragraph to it to set up any religion-based party or any political system upon a religious one.

Kamal tried to allay fears of Christians over Article Two of the Constitution, which states that Islam is "the" main source of legislation.

"There should be no fears as the article has been existing for long with no problems," Kamal told a seminar on the proposed constitutional amendments at the Orthodox Church in Cairo.

Many of the attendees charged that Article Two does not grantee fair treatment or equality and consequently Christians could be discriminated against.

"It is the state which puts into effect this article," said Kamal.

"When the state keeps this article unchanged in the proposed constitutional amendments, it takes into account the citizenship principle, which has been for long cherished by the state."

"It has every thing to do with application," he added.

"We should not pick this article and leave that. The Egyptian constitution cannot be summed up in just one article," he said. "Article 40, for instance, states that all citizens are equal," added Kamal.