People's Assembly agrees in principle on amending the Constitution

The People's Assembly's General Committee agreed in principle at its meeting yesterday under Ahmed Fathi Sorour on President Mubarak's request for amending Article No. 76 of the Constitution on the election of the President of the Republic.

The committee decided to appoint an adhoc committee under Amal Ossman, deputy speaker of the People's Assembly to chalk out a principled draft of this amendment.

The adhoc committee held a meeting last night and agreed to set up a committee to supervise election.

This adhoc committee will consist of the speakers of the People's Assembly and the Shura Council the chairmen of judicial bodies and a number of public figures.

It was agreed in principle that a candidate for the post of the President should be approved by a specific percentage of the elected members of the people's Assembly and the Shura Council ( 620 members together) besides a percentage of the number of the elected members of the local councils at the level of Governorates.

The committee agreed that the election of the President of the Republic must be made through secret and direct balloting.

Meantime, the Shura Council's committee on Constitutional and Legislative affairs held a meeting yesterday under Safwat AL Sherif the speaker of the Shura 'Council to probe the letter of the President of the Republic in which he asked for amending Article no 76 of the Constitution.