Egyption Justice Minister hints at solution for constitutional declaration row

Justice Minister Ahmed Mekki said Sunday that the constitutional declaration problem can be resolved through issuing an explanatory memorandum that is attached to the declaration. Speaking to MENA on the sidelines of the Arab Justice Ministers' meeting, Mekki pointed out to another suggestion that is making a modification in the declaration to stipulate that the immunity is restricted to the president's "sovereign" decisions, emphasizing that the president and the Higher Judicial Council are satisfied with this suggestion. The minister denied that there is a crisis, referring that it is just a sort of tensions among the independent institutions. The president's main goal is to immunize the State's constitutional institutions, a demand that has already been raised by judges, Mekki added. The Supreme Judiciary Council, which will meet with President Morsi on Monday, issued a decision asserting that the president's decisions should not be immunized against the judicial oversight, he noted. He ruled out the idea of holding a public referendum on the declaration.