CAIRO, March 29 (Reuters) – Egypt’s al-Azhar institution,
the highest authority in Sunni Islam, said on Thursday it would
boycott an assembly tasked with writing a new constitution,
following the example of liberals who say they are
under-represented on the panel.
The new constitution, to be written by a 100-member assembly
of politicians and public figures, will replace an earlier
document army rulers suspended when they took power after the
uprising that toppled President Hosni Mubarak last year.
The assembly is dominated by Islamists, reflecting their
resounding victory in parliamentary elections. That has worried
liberals and left-wing groups who say the outcome of one set of
elections should not have an undue influence on the formation of
a constitution meant to last far longer than a one parliamentary
term.
Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood is locked in a power struggle
with ruling generals over how much influence the army will have
after civilians take over in three months time, a dispute that
could decide whether democracy thrives after Mubarak’s removal.
Azhar said in a statement it would “not participate in the
assembly to draft the constitution … announcing its
reservations over not being appropriately represented”. Two
members from Azhar had been elected to the assembly.
Al-Azhar is a university and clerical body that has been a
central seat of Sunni scholarship since the Middle Ages.
Observers and its own officials say it is seeking to develop
a more active political role to make up for the lost time during
Mubarak’s three-decades in power when the body kept close to the
authorities.
Many, including a member representing Egypt’s Supreme
Constitutional Court, have quit the assembly, casting doubt on
its legitimacy with presidential elections just weeks away.
The Muslim Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) and
ultra-conservative Salafi Nour Party dominate the assembly,
while women, young people and minority Christians are
under-represented, they say.
Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, who met with political
parties on Thursday, said the assembly must represent all
society, not only parliament’s majority.
The Muslim Brotherhood disputes accusations that Islamists
dominate the Constitutional Assembly, saying it contains 48
Islamists, 36 from parliament and 12 from outside. Their
opponents say a score of other members have Islamist leanings.
(Writing by Marwa Awad)
