CAIRO — Egypt’s military rulers have triggered a new public outcry with a proposal that critics see as an attempt to enshrine a supreme political role for themselves in the new constitution.
The furor is about a government-sponsored proposal of overarching principles that would guide the drafting of a new constitution. The proposal only requires adoption by the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces to make it binding.
If approved, the measure would shield the military from parliamentary oversight, give it a veto over legislation dealing with its affairs and reduce the powers of parliament to select a panel to write the constitution.
The proposal also would declare the armed forces the protector of “constitutional legitimacy,” wording that is widely interpreted to mean giving the military final say on major policies.
Egypt’s best known reform proponent, Mohamed ElBaradei, described the document as “distorted” and demanded its withdrawal.
“There is a difference between a civilian democratic state that guarantees man’s basic rights and military guardianship,” he said.
The Islamic fundamentalist Muslim Brotherhood, the country’s largest and most-powerful political group, is leading the opposition, saying it “raped people’s will.”
“This route goes against the will of the people, and will lead to another revolution,” said Saad el-Katatni, spokesman of the Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice party. “We call on the people of Egypt to reject the document to protect their rights.”
Critics say the document would create a military state-within-the-state and devalue the democratic system the military vowed to install when it took over after Hosni Mubarak was ousted in February in a popular uprising.
The uproar, which dominated the nation’s press Thursday, has deepened tension between political activists and rights groups and the military ahead of this month’s parliamentary elections.
It came after the arrest earlier this week by the military of one of Egypt’s best-known bloggers and activists for his alleged role in sectarian clashes Oct. 9 in which 27 people, mostly Christians, were killed and hundreds wounded.
Alaa Abdel-Fattah’s arrest sent shock waves through the community of activists and pro-reform groups behind Mr. Mubarak’s ouster. They said the move showed a systematic campaign to discredit them as the generals build their own image as the nation’s foremost patriots.
The constitution proposal, meanwhile, is widely thought to have been drafted at the behest of the military, which has dominated Egypt since officers seized power in a 1952 coup.
All of Egypt’s four presidents have since hailed from the military and most of the top jobs at strategically located provinces, regional councils and state organizations are filled by retired generals.
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