Who lost Egypt? Barack Obama lost Egypt. “Egypt’s contentious Islamist constitution becomes law,” by Shaimaa Fayed and Yasmine Saleh for Reuters, December 26:
(Reuters) – President Mohamed Mursi admitted on Wednesday that Egypt’s economy faces serious problems after he enacted a new, bitterly contested constitution that is supposed to help end political unrest and allow him to focus on the financial crisis….
The presidency announced on Wednesday that Mursi had formally approved the constitution, which was drafted by his Islamist allies, the previous evening, shortly after results showed that Egyptians had backed it in a referendum….
The text won about 64 percent in a two-stage referendum, paving the way for a new parliamentary vote in about two months.
The main opposition group, which has until now boycotted all rounds of national unity talks led by Mursi’s office, said it had not changed its position.
“The ongoing talks are farcical and theatrical,” Hussein Abdel Ghani, an opposition spokesman, told reporters. He called on Egyptians to demonstrate against the new constitution on January 25, the second anniversary of Egypt’s revolution.
He added that the opposition would stick to its policy of peaceful protest against Mursi’s government, which he said sought to use religion as a tool to create an oppressive state.
ANOTHER ISLAMIST VICTORY
The referendum result marked yet another electoral victory for the Islamists since veteran autocrat Hosni Mubarak was toppled in 2011, following parliamentary elections last year and the presidential vote that brought Mursi to power this year.
The charter states that the principles of sharia, Islamic law, are the main source of legislation and that Islamic authorities will be consulted on sharia – a source of concern to the Christian minority and others….
Mursi’s government argues the constitution offers enough protection to all groups, and that many Egyptians are fed up with street protests that have prevented a return to normality.
The charter gives Egypt’s upper house of parliament, which is dominated by Islamists, full legislative powers until the vote for a new lower house is held….