Egyptian court suspends constitution makers

Political groups complain that bureaucratic maneuvering gave Islamist factions a majority on drafting panel

CAIRO (AP) — An Egyptian court has suspended a 100-member panel selected by lawmakers from the Islamist-dominated parliament and tasked with drafting a new constitution.

Tuesday’s ruling followed complaints by political groups and constitutional experts over the parliament’s decision to give lawmakers half the seats on the panel. Islamist lawmakers, combined with like-minded individuals, ended up with 60 seats on the panel.

The experts said this violates a constitutional declaration adopted in a referendum last year. Some two dozen members have quit the panel, protesting the selection process.

The ruling is a blow to Islamists. Their insistence that lawmakers get half the panel prompted charges that they wanted to monopolize the process and give the new constitution an Islamist slant.