Egypt parliament approves new constitution body

Egypt's parliament has for the second time approved an assembly to draft a new constitution after the first attempt was blocked by court. Any delays mean the new president will not know the extent of his powers when he is elected in a run-off vote this weekend. The main parties in parliament said last week they had reached agreement on the shape of the constitutional assembly, and parliamentary speaker Saad al-Katatni told a joint session of both houses that approved the list late on Tuesday night: "This assembly saw many twists that hindered it for some time, but in the end it was formed to represent all Egyptian groups." Katatni, who resigned from the Muslim Brotherhood's party to take the speaker post, said the list included 33 people from political parties including members of parliament, as well as constitutional experts, judicial figures, Christian and Muslim clerics, union members and representatives of the army, police, government and Egypt's youth. However, some liberal and independent members walked out in protest on Tuesday before the final agreement. Amen Eskander, a member of parliament for the Al-Karama Party, said there would be too many Islamists in the assembly, "just like in the previous one". Liberal and leftist parties said on Monday they would renounce their seats in the new assembly. One member of parliament who withdrew, Abul Ezz el-Hariry, said he would challenge the new list in court. Hariry, a presidential candidate who fell out of the race in the first round last month, was among a group of liberals and lawyers who successfully challenged the first assembly in April. "An assembly in which Egyptians do not see themselves (represented) is the end of a transition in which they have been trying to kill the revolution and confiscate the future," said reformist politician Mohamed ElBaradei. The Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party played down the liberals' criticism and walkout from parliament. "The withdrawal of some members does not represent a general theme," Brotherhood leader Farid Ismail told reporters outside the meeting hall. Katatni said 85 percent of eligible members of parliament took part in the process of choosing the assembly.