Egypt begins work on amending constitution

Experts begin work Sunday to amend the constitution ratified by ousted Egyptian president Mohammad Mursi. Egypt's caretaker cabinet has sought to forge ahead with an army "roadmap" for a political transition amid heightened tensions as Mursi's supporters press on with protests demanding his reinstatement, AFP reported. Foreign Minister Nabil Fahmy launched a public relations campaign to boost the cabinet's credibility abroad on Saturday, nearly three weeks after the military toppled Mursi. The military overthrow followed days of mass protests against Mursi. On the domestic front, interim president Adly Mansour named a committee of four university professors and six judges to come up with a new constitution. In the wake of the ousting of Mursi on July 3, Egypt's new army-backed administration suspended the constitution that had been adopted by referendum in December with a majority of 64 percent. The experts will have 30 days to complete their task, after which their amendments will be brought before a 50-strong body representing different groups in Egyptian society, which will submit final changes to Mansour. The caretaker president will then have 30 days to call a referendum on the new charter, paving the way for new elections. Work also began in earnest at the weekend on boosting the new regime's foreign relations. Fahmy said on Saturday he would prioritize "defending the revolution abroad". The ministry would "form a committee to follow what is published about the revolution abroad and to provide sound information," he told a news conference. Supporters of Mursi have pressed demonstrations against the new cabinet, holding marches and protests across the country since his fall. Thousands of Mursi loyalists have massed in Cairo's Rabaa al-Adawiya square for about three weeks, calling for his reinstatement and denouncing General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, the army chief behind his overthrow. The pro-Mursi protests have resulted in deadly clashes, with the unrest claiming more than 100 lives in all, according to an AFP tally.