How Egypt’ par’l speaker led successful societal dialogue on constitutional amendments?

CAIRO – 30 March 2019: Parliament Speaker Ali Abdel Aal said on Saturday that he does not get upset by objections, however, he is concerned with those who do not express their opinions.

Commenting on the 4th Parliament social dialogue to discuss the proposed constitutional amendments, Abdel Aal further stressed that, “A healthy community has many opinions, even prophets were not granted full acceptance, and we must bear with all opinions, even if there are some exaggerations, as long as it does not affect the security of the country, the law, and the constitution.”

Parliament members, politicians, experts, representatives of financial institutions and chambers of commerce, and media figures took part at the session and shared their thoughts and opinions regarding the amendments.

Abdel Aal specially welcomed members of the Coordination Committee of Parties' Youth Leaders and Politicians, headed by MP Tariq al-Khouli.

Parliament Speaker Ali Abdel Aal with members of the Coordination Committee of Parties' Youth Leaders and Politicians

Abdel Aal also said, “We have heard from pro-government and opposition parties leaders, no session witnessed a consensus, which would be wrong.”

“We are on the right track, I did not say that our path to democracy is over, we are establishing a democratic system, and no one can say that we have already finished it. We must not look at Europe at the end of its democratic experience, but we must understand how it reached this level and how long did it take,” Abdel Aal added.

Abdel Aal swore, during the previous societal dialogue session, that the Egyptian presidency did not interfere by any means in the issue of amending some articles of the 2014 constitution.

The societal dialogue sessions are concerned with listening to politicians, political parties, public figures, the civil society, businessmen, and financial and economic institutions.