The Egyptian Shura Council on 9 / 1 / 2006 approved the constitutional amendments that have recently been proposed by President Hosni Mubarak.

Members of the council agreed that the suggested amendments consecrated the principles of citizenship for all Egyptians and banned the setting up of political parties on a religious or ethnic basis.

The members asserted that Article Two of the constitution, that Islam is the source of all legislations, will remain unchanged.

President Mubarak has proposed introducing amendments to 34 constitutional articles to put some wind in the sail of Egypt's democratic process.

On his part, Safwat Sherif, the Shura Council Speaker said that President Mubarak has exercised his constitutional right when he asked that some items of Egypt's constitution be amended and that they should reflect a national consensus.

Addressing the council's session held on 9/1/2007 to discuss a report by the constitutional and legislative affairs committee on Mubarak's request to have some items amended, Sherif pointed out that the proposed amendments cover 34 items.

The amendments were based on another historic modification of item 76 of the Egyptian constitution which opened the door for further constitutional amendments.

Speaker of the Shura Council Safwat Sherif added that the proposed constitutional amendments had been under discussion for around one year and a half inside the parliament. Constitutional amendments started with modifying item 76 of the constitution, he added, noting that such changes were a launching pad towards a more comprehensive and wide-scale revolution of reforms.

The Shura Council held several sessions since March 5, 2005 to discuss these amendments in detail with representatives of the political parties participating, he added.