The Constituent Assembly’s drafting committee has concluded the drafting of the four articles of the constitution that concern the conditions for candidacy for the post of Egypt’s president
The Constituent Assembly’s drafting committee has concluded the drafting of the four articles of the constitution that concern the conditions for candidacy for the post of Egypt’s president.
According to the draft articles, candidates for the presidency should be Egyptian, born to Egyptian parents and should not be less than 40 years of age. In order for a candidate to be eligible to run in presidential elections, he should have legal authorisation documents from 30 members of both houses of parliament, or from 30,000 citizens, otherwise the candidate should member of a political party which has at least five seats in parliament.
The draft articles stipulate that the candidate who would win 50 per cent plus one of the vote in the first round of the elections would become president of Egypt. A number of the Constituent Assembly members suggested that the candidate who wins the highest vote should be named president.
Article 4 stipulates that in the event of the death or withdrawal of one of the candidates in the runoffs, the third runner-up would contest the runoff against the candidate with the highest vote.
There is, however, disagreement between the liberal and the Islamists members of the Constituent Assembly regarding whether the current president Mohamed Mursi should complete his term once the new constitution is approved, or not. Liberals insist on new presidential and parliamentary elections then, whereas the Islamists are adamant that Dr Mursi should stay on.
Watani International
18 September 2012