President Morsi has set the date for public vote on the newly (some say "rushed") drafted Constitution for Saturday, December 15.
While many are gathered still in demonstrations for President's Morsi's recent acts as President near Cairo University, perhaps more have been gathered at Tahrir Square in downtown Cairo in demonstration opposing President Morsi's leadership, and now also this Constitution.
In this Al Jazeera video, you can see a bit of each demonstration:
While many are still reviewing the Constitution's 234 Articles, many have already begun to post, tweet, blog, and shout against its perceived shortcomings and contradictions. You can find the first half of the English-translation of the Constitution here; the rest will be coming tomorrow (inshallah).
I have much more to read and then to compare notes and statements from the lengthy document before I can better understand it as a whole. But as new and outside observers of Egyptian life and politics, our initial perceptions of the document are overwhelmed. I grew up learning that a constitution should be a "framework", but this document reads as if it is intended to contain floors, walls, doors, windows, vents, and roof and siding -- and in it's effort to be complete, it seems so incomplete.
As we now move toward the vote in the midst of the ongoing demonstrations and political divides, it has been wondered if whether the Constitution will be voted on for its own merits (or lack thereof), or whether people will use the vote on the Constitution as a vote of confidence in the new President--a "referendum on the government".
Much to be revealed in the coming weeks here in Egypt...
Thanks again for your ongoing interest, thoughts, prayers, and support.
While many are gathered still in demonstrations for President's Morsi's recent acts as President near Cairo University, perhaps more have been gathered at Tahrir Square in downtown Cairo in demonstration opposing President Morsi's leadership, and now also this Constitution.
In this Al Jazeera video, you can see a bit of each demonstration:
While many are still reviewing the Constitution's 234 Articles, many have already begun to post, tweet, blog, and shout against its perceived shortcomings and contradictions. You can find the first half of the English-translation of the Constitution here; the rest will be coming tomorrow (inshallah).
I have much more to read and then to compare notes and statements from the lengthy document before I can better understand it as a whole. But as new and outside observers of Egyptian life and politics, our initial perceptions of the document are overwhelmed. I grew up learning that a constitution should be a "framework", but this document reads as if it is intended to contain floors, walls, doors, windows, vents, and roof and siding -- and in it's effort to be complete, it seems so incomplete.
As we now move toward the vote in the midst of the ongoing demonstrations and political divides, it has been wondered if whether the Constitution will be voted on for its own merits (or lack thereof), or whether people will use the vote on the Constitution as a vote of confidence in the new President--a "referendum on the government".
Much to be revealed in the coming weeks here in Egypt...
Thanks again for your ongoing interest, thoughts, prayers, and support.
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