Al-Nour party rejected the criteria set for the formation of the constituent assembly, in a statement released on their Facebook page on Monday.
The party denounced interim Vice-President Mohamed ElBaradei’s plan to create the 50 member constituent assembly to approve the constitution, saying that his criteria only allows for five seats out of 50 to represent all political parties.
The party said ElBaradei’s “lack of inclusiveness is similar to former president Hosni Mubarak”, and called for more political parties to be involved in the committee.
Shaaban Abdel Alim, high board member of Al-Nour Party, said the party also rejected other criteria regarding the assembly, such as a provision for the government to appoint 10 seats of the 50-member assembly.
Alim said if the “unfair” criteria do not change, Al-Nour Party will not participate in the process.
The statement said an elected president, as opposed to interim president Adly Mansour, should form the 10-person legal experts committee responsible for revising the constitutional articles.
Al-Nour said the legal experts committee “lacked transparency,” citing that the previous constitutional committee’s work was always broadcasted. The 10-person committee reconvened on Tuesday despite Al-Nour’s opposition, according to state run Al-Ahram.
The statement said certain articles in the 2012 constitution could not be changed, since it would require it to be rewritten, not amended; the party rejected the alteration of any articles concerning Egypt’s Islamic identity, including clauses governing interpretation of Sharia law.
The party said Defence Minister Abdel Fatah Al-Sisi, ElBaradei and Pope Tawadros II promised the party that these articles would not be changed.
The party affirmed that according to the constitution, political parties that foster discrimination must be outlawed.
