December 2023

After five months of heated debate in the Constituent Assembly, 60 percent of the body (which largely mirrors the composition of the Parliament) approved the passage of the Constitution below. The document is largely drawn from the 2012 Constitution promulgated after the Arab Spring. Highlights include significant personal freedoms (including freedom of speech, with the exception of insulting the prophets and divine messengers, expression, assembly, petition, press, and privacy) and a unicameral legislature in a Presidential system. While freedom of religion is guaranteed, sharia is recognized as the basis for law (which is nothing new--even Mubarak's constitution said that). Copts and Jews are guaranteed special religious protections.

On 12 December 2023, the people of Egypt went to the polls for the second time that year to participate in the referendum on the new constitution.

2023 Constitutional Referendum

Do you approve of the Constitution prepared by the Constituent Assembly?

• Total Votes: 42,738,076

• Turnout: 60.2%

Table of Contents

• Preamble
• Part One: Elements of State and Society
  • Chapter One: Political Elements
  • Chapter Two: Societal and Moral Elements
  • Chapter Three: Economic Elements
• Part Two: Rights and Freedoms
  • Chapter One: Personal Rights
  • Chapter Two: Civil and Political Rights
  • Chapter Three: Economic and Social Rights
  • Chapter Four: Guarantees to Protect Rights and Freedoms
• Part Three: The Public Powers
  • Chapter One: The Legislative Power
  • Chapter Two: The Executive Power
    • Section One: The President
    • Section Two: The Council of Ministers
  • Chapter Three: The Judicial Power
  • Chapter Four: The System of Local Administration
  • Chapter Five: National Security and Defense
• Part Four: Independent Bodies and Supervisory Organs
  • Chapter One: Common Provisions
  • Chapter Two: The Supervisory Organs
  • Chapter Three: The Economic and Social Council
  • Chapter Four: The National Elections Commission
  • Chapter Five: The Independent Bodies
• Part Five: Final and Transitional Provisions
  • Chapter One: Constitutional Amendments
  • Chapter Two: General Provisions
  • Chapter Three: Transitional Provisions

[M] The bulk of the constitution's text is from the 2012 Egyptian Constitution. I took some liberties in transcription (condensed some parts, changed some formatting), and made some major edits to the electoral processes. Still, it would be wrong to claim this post as solely "my own." But I think citing this, plus the edits I made and the transformation I did, should keep me safe from Rule 18. If not: ban, coward. You will only ban a man. [/M]