Proud day for Egypt: panel votes on draft constitution

◼ The draft text of Egypt's new constitution was revealed today, five months after the army deposed an Islamist president. - Republican Security Council

The new Constitution must now be approved by a national referendum in December, and that would be followed by parliamentary and presidential elections next year. Early this morning the 50-member constituent assembly voted to approve the draft text article by article.

• It bans all religious political parties including the Muslim Brotherhood.

• All of the constitutional changes added by the Brotherhood have been abolished. The discrimination against women has been removed. The support of terrorist groups has ended and there is no longer any special relationship with Iran.

• All assets of the Brotherhood have been confiscated, and all of its activities are now banned.

• AP quotes one member of the constituent assembly as saying, “The plan is to drain the sources of funding for the Brotherhood, break the joints of the group, and dismantle the podiums from which they deliver their message.”

• The Brotherhood operates 60 schools and 50 lucrative businesses, which, along with members’ dues and donations, finance its activities. At least 10 schools have already been closed.

• The new government has cancelled licences for thousands of pro-Brotherhood preachers, ordered thousands of Brotherhood-operated mosques to close, and is monitoring sermons.

• Another assembly member said "This is the end of political Islam in Egypt."

• Since Morsi's ouster on July 3, there have been at least 253 reported attacks in the Sinai Peninsula, most of which were carried out against Egyptian security forces and assets.

• The Egyptian government has also asked Turkey's ambassador to leave in protest for its support of the Muslim Brotherhood. They accused Turkey of supporting an organization bent on spreading instability.

Former United Nations Secretary General Boutros Boutros-Ghali praised the new document. He said Egypt's "road ahead will be difficult. The one year rule of the Muslim Brotherhood was a disaster. It will cost my country five years at least to reconstruct what they demolished.”

He says the Muslim Brotherhood's rule only worked to cripple the North African country.

◼ Egypt's new constitution, according to a draft text completed on Saturday - nearly five months after the army deposed an Islamist president - will bolster the military's hand and ban religious parties. - haaretz
◼ 50-member committee bars torture, guarantees freedom of belief as panel adjourns - Ahram Online

Racing to meet a 3 December deadline to prepare a new constitution for the country, the 50-member committee started Saturday making decisions on 246 articles finishing 138 by mid-evening

Article 53: Citizens are equal before the law; they are equal in rights, freedoms and general duties. There should be no discrimination based on religion, faith, sex, ethnicity, race, color, language, disability, social class, political affiliation, geography or any other reason.

Discrimination and incitement to hatred is a crime punished by the law. The state is obliged to take appropriate measures to eliminate all forms of discrimination. The law regulates the forming of an independent commission for this purpose.

Article 64: Freedom of belief is absolute.

◼ A LOOK AT KEY ARTICLES IN EGYPTIAN DRAFT CHARTER - AP

The draft is a milestone in the path toward democratic rule after the stunning ouster of Egypt's elected Islamist president in a July military coup and the suspension of a previous constitution passed under his watch.