Dozens of demonstrators, including several high profile figures, protested Saturday against the composition of the 100-member constituent assembly, which will write the new constitution.
Held in front of the Cairo International Conference Center in Nasr City, where the joint Shura council and People's Assembly committee held a meeting to select the members, the demonstrations criticized Islamist political movements of dominating the process. Protesters demanded an assembly representative of all segments of society.
Banners read: "Pluralism is the constitutional reference," "Yes to a constitution representing all Egyptians," and "No to the legislative authority exclusively drafting the constitution."
The demonstrators also distributed a statement saying “Wake up Egyptians, before our constitution is hijacked and tailored in favor of a particular group, and the constitution's constituent assembly is controlled."
Some Ultras Ahlawy members and public figures such as writer Karima Hefnawy, lawyer Nasser Amin, Nour al-Hoda Zky, Mohamed al-Ashkar, activist Samira Ibrahim, actor Amr al-Qady, actor Ahmed Eid and musician Hany Mehanna participated in the demonstration.
Ahmed Taha Naqr, spokesperson for the National Assembly for Change, attributed the small number of participants to the remoteness of the location and the lack of transportations as well as the gas crisis.
Actor Amr al-Qady said he participated in the demonstration because the constitution was the most important battle in the revolution, and he wanted to prevent the Muslim Brotherhood from hijacking it.
The parliament, he said, does not have the right to dominate the constitution's constituent assembly.
Actor Ahmed Eid objected the parliament's acquisition of 50 percent of the constituent assembly saying the constitution should represent, as much as possible, the classes and currents in the society or else "that means the Brotherhood will rule Egypt till doomsday.”
Translated from Al-Masry Al-Youm
