Voting on Egypt’s new Consitution

(Adapted from article on Ahram Online)

Article 2: “Islam is the state religion, Arabic is its official language and the principles of Islamic Sharia law form the main source of legislation.”

Article 9: “The state is obliged to provide equal opportunities for all citizens, without discrimination.”

Article 11: “The State is committed to achieving equality between women and men in all the rights stated in this constitution. The State is obliged to take the necessary measures to ensure the appropriate and balanced representation of women in parliaments and local units, as organised by the law, and enable them to reconcile the duties of family and work, and protect them from all forms of violence. The State is committed to providing special care for motherhood and childhood and women who are poorest and most in need.”

Article 18: (allocates three percent or more of the country’s total Gross Domestic Product to the health sector.)

Article 38: (mandates the imposing of progressive taxes on income.)

Article 52: “Torture in all its forms is a crime without a statute of limitations.”

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.”

Article 65: “Freedom of thought and opinion is guaranteed and every human being is entitled to express his/her views verbally or in writing, by photography, or any other form of expression.”

Upcoming Elections

In Algeria, incumbent president Bouteflika intends to run for a fourth term, despite reports of his ailing health; speculation says this is primarily motivated by a desire to curb the influence of the intelligence service (DRS) and its leader, General Mediene. Other candidates are also considering running in the 2014 presidential elections, among them author Yasmina Khadra and insiders Ali Benflis and Ahmed Benbitour, and Algeria’s Islamists are reportedly in discussions to select a consensus candidate. Algerian bloggers currently appear to predict either a Bouteflika or Benbitour victory.

Egypt’s constitutional committee continues to vote on individual articles of the draft constitution. Amendments might include expanding military powers, removing details (Article 219) regarding how shari’a will be interpreted, and a possible ban on religious parties. The final draft is scheduled to be put to referendum on December 3 “or early January next year” (read: no sooner than March), and CSOs wishing to monitor the polls have until this Saturday to apply for permits.

Iraq has set the date of its next parliamentary elections for April 30, 2014, after finally passing its new election law.

Press Freedoms in North Africa

Magharebia reported rising attacks on journalists (325 in the past year), as documented by the Tunis Centre for Press Freedom.

Ahram Online reports that Egypt’s current draft of the constitution would ban censorship–but only of state media and barring “war or public mobilization.” Foreign (and presumably independent) media are not to have full protection from censorship.

Ali Anouzla, the Moroccan journalist arrested for posting a link to a link of a video put out by al-Qaeda, has been released on bail, but Deutsche Welle discusses how actual reform is unlikely.