Monday, 14 February 2011

Egyptian Referendum Within Two Months

Tim Marshall, foreign affairs editor, and Natalie Fahy

Egypt is to hold a constitutional referendum within two months, according to a youth activist.


Video: The economic impact of Egypt's revolution.

Members of the ruling Higher Military Council announced their intentions to a group of protesters and it was then revealed on a social networking site.

Wael Ghonim - an anti-Mubarak activist - wrote on his Facebook page that he and seven others involved in demonstrations had met with two members of the council on Sunday evening.

Ghonim, a Google executive, who was detained for two weeks during the protests, wrote: "A constitutional committee known for integrity, honour and not belonging to any political trends has been formed to finish constitutional amendments in the space of 10 days and and they will be put to a referendum within two months.

[The Higher Military Council] affirmed that the army does not want to take power in Egypt and that the civilian state is the only path for Egypt's progress.

Wael Ghonim's Facebook entry

"[They] affirmed that the army does not want to take power in Egypt and that the civilian state is the only path for Egypt's progress," the page said.

"The army defended the continuation of the present cabinet, saying they were working to change it quickly but that a caretaker [cabinet] was necessary to protect popular interests."

However, there were no details of who would be in the committee overseeing the redrafting of the constitution.

Only a few articles will need rewriting, but all of the opposition parties, including the banned Muslim Brotherhood, will want a say. That could lead to fractious negotiations.

The announcement came as William Hague said Egypt had asked Britain to freeze the assets of several former Egyptian officials.

The foreign secretary told the House of Commons that European Union finance ministers were discussing the request, and that accounts would be frozen if there was any evidence of illegality or misuse of state assets.

Mr Hague also told the House of Commons that the Egyptian prime minister had informed him opposition figures would be included in the country's reshuffled cabinet in the next week.

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Meanwhile, Egypt's military has said it plans to ban strikes, risking the anger of protesters who forced the resignation of President Hosni Mubarak.

While most demonstrators have been leaving Tahrir Square in the centre of Cairo, some have reacted angrily to suggestions that industrial action could be outlawed.

The generals who now rule Egypt say they are determined to get the country back on its feet.

But many workers are already pressing for better deals.

Bank staff have forced officials to give them the day off today and there have been reports of protests, sit-ins and strikes at largely state-owned institutions.

Finally we have been encouraged to come out and speak. We want equality

Hala Fawzi, mother of two

These include the stock exchange, textile firms, media organisations, steel firms, the postal service and railways, the police and the health ministry.

The workers have a long list of grievances. What unites them is a new sense of being able to speak out in the post-Mubarak era.

"Finally we have been encouraged to come out and speak," said Hala Fawzi, a 34-year-old mother of two.

She was speaking at a protest outside the offices of the state-owned insurance company where she is paid less than £20 a month. "We want equality," she said.

The army has said free and fair elections will come under a revised constitution, but it has not given a timetable.

It only said the military would be in charge "for a temporary period of six months or until the end of elections to the upper and lower houses of parliament, and presidential elections".

Nor did it reveal what civilian or other involvement there would be in amending basic laws during the transition period.

The cabinet appointed by Mubarak last month will continue governing, submitting legislation to the army chiefs for approval.

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