Egypt Rewrites Its Constitution

The Egyptian military has set up an eight-person panel of legal experts to revise the country’s constitution. The panel includes a Coptic Christian jurist and a member of the Muslim Brotherhood — and so far, opposition leaders have praised it as a respected and credible group of individuals. Outside experts have argued about the need to either completely rewrite or extensively revise the country’s legal framework. But most agree that the ten day deadline the Egyptian military has set for completion isn’t enough time  – and that the process may undermine the underlying goal for more democracy in the country. Joining us is Michael Wahid Hanna, fellow and program officer at the Century Foundation, who has written about the constitutional project in Egypt. He says that the process should include many opinions, both from inside Egypt and from outside observors, in order for it to be a document that truly reflects the people and their desire for more democracy.