Egypt suspends panel tasked with drafting constitution

Egypt’s administrative court has suspended the 100-member panel appointed last month to draft the country’s new constitution, Press TV reports. The panel was selected by lawmakers and had been tasked with drafting the country's new constitution. Following the ruling on Tuesday, Saad el-Katatni, the speaker of parliament and a leading member of the Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party has cancelled the constituent assembly's meeting scheduled for Wednesday. Hundreds of protesters took to the streets to celebrate the move, as they believe the panel appointed by the Egyptian parliamentarians does not represent all factions of the Egyptian society. “The panel mandated to draft the constitution must include representatives of all Egyptians not just a party or group in favor of the others,” one protester told Press TV correspondent. This comes while dozens of other protesters denounced the ruling, saying the assembly truly reflected the diversity of Egyptian society. Egypt’s new constitution will determine the balance of power between the country’s previously all-powerful president and parliament. It will also define the political role of the military, which took over after the fall of the long-reigning former dictator, Hosni Mubarak, in a popular revolution last year. The draft constitution will be put to a referendum before the country’s presidential elections in May. It is expected to include more freedom and define the authorities of Egypt's next president.