Commentary
Nathan J. Brown
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Source: Getty
In The Media
Protesters Demand Changes To Egypt's Constitution
The Egyptian constitution does not give citizens the means to challenge the state and thus could help the Mubarak regime maintain the status quo in Egypt.
Published on Feb 8, 2011
Source: NPR
Brown noted that “if the opposition chooses to go by the book there are very few constitutionally valid means to transition to a democratic, pluralist system.” The Mubarak regime has written and amended the constitution to enable the president to constitutionally limit the options of the opposition. In effect, “the constitution does not give Egyptians citizens the means to challenge the state,” Brown said.
However, Egypt faces two chief problems if it chooses to turn its back on the country’s constitution entirely, Brown warned. First, writing a new constitution would require disparate groups and interests to reach an agreement on the nature of the document and, second, the opposition would have to force the government to acquiesce in this endeavor. Ultimately, Brown said, the Egyptian constitution could help to maintain the status quo in Egypt.
About the Author
Nathan J. Brown
Nonresident Senior Fellow, Middle East Program
Nathan J. Brown, a professor of political science and international affairs at George Washington University, is a distinguished scholar and author of nine books on Arab politics and governance, as well as editor of five books.
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Nathan J. Brown
Recent Work
Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.
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