1971 Constitution of Egypt - History

History

Egypt is known for having one of the earliest administrative and legislative codes in history. Nevertheless, the first modern codified form of a national constitution was adopted in 1923.

After the revolution that led to the overthrow of the monarch, King Farouk, and the declaration of the republic, President Nasser adopted the nation’s first written constitution as a republic in 1956. During the short spell of the United Arab Republic, (Egypt & Syria), President Nasser adopted yet another constitution for the new merger. However when this merger was dissolved, Egypt returned to the 1956 constitution as its supreme law. In 1964, President Nasser once again introduced a new written constitution for the republic as the 1963 Provisional Constitution. In 1971, when President Anwar Sadat took office, he moved to the adoption of a new democratic constitution that would allow more freedoms, a return of a more sound parliamentary life and correct democratic practice with the return of political parties and a bicameral parliamentary system.

The 1971 constitution is the fourth adopted constitution since the declaration of the republic and is known as "The Permanent Egyptian Constitution" although, since its ratification, it has been amended three times by two presidents; the first being in 1980 by President Sadat at the end of his presidency and the two other times by President Hosni Mubarak in both 2005 and early 2007. The last amendments were the most comprehensive with 34 articles of the constitution changed. These amendments were mainly proposed by the National Democratic Party to move the country’s political and economic tendencies further away from socialism and more towards capitalism. Nonetheless, these amendments represent a clear response to government opposition in light of the 2005 elections with articles 5, 88 and 179 adding constitutional permanence to the emergency law in place since 1981.

As of 2011, various political powers in Egypt have asked for yet more reforms. Proponents of a more complete constitution intend to shape a more robust, variegated political & economic landscape. Egyptian political life would diversify, whether through more comprehensive amendments or through the adoption of a new constitution.

on 13 February 2011, following the resignation of Mubarak during the 2011 Egyptian revolution, the army suspended the constitution. It appointed the Egyptian constitutional review committee of 2011 and on 26 February published a proposal to amend Articles 76, 77, 88, 93, 139, 148 and 189 and to remove Article 179. A referendum to accept or reject the changes was passed. Within days the constitution was re-declared.