A group of Coptic organizations in the United States and Canada asked that the number of the Copts in the Constituent Assembly be at least 15 Copts, and that the new assembly comprises representatives from all streams of the Egyptian society and thought leaders, activists, and specialists in constitutional law.
The statement, addressed to the Supreme Council of the armed forces and the parliament, proposed 22 known Coptic public figures from which the parliament, entrusted with the selection of the constituent assembly, would choose 12-person, in addition to three persons to be designated by the Orthodox churches, Catholic and evangelical as representatives.
It was signed by 22 Association in America, Egypt, Canada, Britain, Austria, in addition to more than 150 Egyptian figures, both Coptic and Islamic, who hold senior positions in those states as well as in the U.A.E, France, Kuwait and Jordan.
The statement, which was prepared by Coptic Solidarity and the Middle East Freedom Forum and published yesterday (April 25), mentioned that the signatories welcome the historic ruling of the Administrative Court to dissolve the previous Constituent Assembly, whose composition was fraught with deviations, the abuse of power, and ignoring the demands to formulate of the Constitution first.
The message emphasized that constitutions gain legitimacy from being based on general consensus among the various components of the society without bullying by a majority nor abusing of minority rights; and gain value from the emphasis on security, freedom and dignity of the citizen and the protection of fundamental rights of individuals and groups. It also emphasized the form of the state must be «civil» and the system of government should lead to real progress with a commitment to freedom of thought, expression, and religious beliefs of individuals and groups, based on the principles of slogans January 25 Revolution «a civil state» and «freedom – dignity – social justice».
The organizations proposed a set of names for membership of the Constituent Assembly, including the Chancellor Amir Ramzy; Dr. Georges Abi-Saab, Professor of Law at the University of Geneva, and a judge International Court of Justice; activist George Ishaq; Dr. Georgette Queliny, Member of Parliament before; Dr. George Shafik, a professor of constitutional law; Dawood Abdel-Sayyed a cinema director, Dr. Samer Suleiman, a professor at the American University; Samia Anton, a press writer; the political researcher Sameh Fawzi; Adel Guindy, the president of the Coptic Solidarity Coptic; Dr. Emad Gad, Member of Parliament; the journalist writer Karima Kamal; Dr. Camille Saddeeq, secretary of the Alexandria Milli Council; Father Matthias Nasr, founder of the Maspero Youth; Dr. Magdi Sami Zaki, a law professor in France; the philosopher Dr. Murad Wahba; Dr. Makram Mehanny, the head of the pharmaceutical industry union; Dr. Makeen Fouad, a professor at the University of London; Maj. General (Ret.) Nasri George; Dr. Wagdy Sabet, a professor of constitutional law in France; and Mr Youssef Sidhom, editor of Watani newspaper.
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Al-Masry al-Youm (translated by CS)
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