Sherif: Developments require revision of the constitution

Safwat el-Sherif, the Secretary General of the National Democratic Party said that the NDP believes that current developments necessitate revision of the constitution.

However, he said that all provisions of the constitution do not hinder the implementation of political reforms.

He said that following the first session of national dialogue among 15 parties that some participant parties believe that constitutional reform could be adjourned until after the referendum while other parties favour the immediate amendment of the constitution.

He said that the results of dialogue will be raised before President Mubarak and the government in order to draft the necessary bills before referring them to the People's Assembly.

He said that an agreement was reached on the setting up a three way committee for drawing up the agenda of the upcoming sessions adding an agreement was reached on the need for having a purely Egyptian reform and on rejecting any attempts to observe elections.

At the end of the first session, Al-Sherif said that the stance of the National Democratic Party was highly welcomed by all parties adding this reflects concurrence between the NDP and other parties, referring to the statements given by the party chairmen to this effect.

Al Sherif said that all parties taking part in dialogue asserted that constitutional reform does not hinder reform of the political life through the laws of the parties, the People's Assembly, political rights practice and democracy of Professional syndicates.

Secretary General of Egypt's National Democratic Party Safwat el-Sherif said that President Hosni Mubarak had approved the NDP statement which was proposed during the first meeting of the national dialogue among the opposition parties that kicked off Sunday night.

During a meeting on Tuesday with the staff of the NDP general-secretariat for training and political enlightenment under Aliy Eiddin Helal, Sherif said that the dialogue among the opposition parties tackled important issues and did not discuss draft laws.

He said that dialogue with the opposition parties will continue without setting dates a long as it tackles important issues.

Sherif said that the opposition parties appreciated President Mubarak's call for dialogue and his efforts to deepen democracy in Egypt.