Egypt's 50-member panel that amended a constitution drafted under now-ousted Islamist President Mohammed Morsi posed for photographers after finishing the final draft of a series of constitutional amendments outside the Shoura Council in Cairo on Monday. The amendments give the military more privileges, enshrining its place as the nation's most powerful institution and the source of real power, while removing parts that liberals feared set the stage for the creation of an Islamic state. The new draft constitution is a key first step in implementing a political transition laid down by the military after it removed Morsi from power. A 50-member panel declared the draft finished Monday, paving the way for a nationwide referendum within 30 days to ratify the document. The military-backed government has heralded the draft charter as a step toward democracy.
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It’s too soon to tell how much the immigration crackdown is to blame.
