Senior members of the Muslim Brotherhood held an urgent meeting Sunday to consider possible ways to bolster popular support for President Mohamed Morsy’s call for Egyptians to vote in a referendum on the constitution on 15 December, group sources told Al-Masry Al-Youm.
Sources from the group said the Guidance Bureau instructed administrative offices in governorates around the country to form groups to hold dialogues with people over the constitution and the importance of approving it.
In addition, Essam Hasheesh, member of the group’s Shura Council, said the Supreme Constitutional Court should not overrule the 22 November constitutional declaration issued by President Mohamed Morsy, in order to not further polarize the country.
Hasheesh told reporters if the constitutional court ruled to dissolve the Consituent Assembly and Shura Council — decisions that were postponed after SCC members were barred from entering the body Sunday — it would mean the court plays a political role and Egypt’s rulers should penalize it.
Hussein Hamed, a member of the assembly’s drafting committee, told Al-Masry Al-Youm, “The president’s decisions came in response to the people’s needs, and the constitutional declaration issued by Morsy should be considered a constitution.”
He also said claims that the constitution was written in a short time were untrue, as the assembly took six months to draft the document.
Wael Teleb, another member of the group’s Shura Council, said the Brotherhood would call for a national dialogue to explain terms of the constitution.
He accused opposition parties of seeking support from the West.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
