Egypt eases freedom restrictions

Egypt is to be run on a temporary constitution which scraps restrictions on personal freedom until a new government is elected.

Sobhi Saleh, part of a committee appointed by the military leadership to handle the change, and a member of the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood, said they wanted to “cleanse” the current constitution.

The temporary replacement will remove all restrictions on freedoms, including the right to form political parties, so that a democratic government can be formed and a “full constitution” can be drawn up afterwards.

Mr Saleh’s appointment to the committee suggests that the current ruling military council may be willing to legitimise the Brotherhood, nearly 60 years after it was banned.

The military has been in power since Friday when president Hosni Mubarak stepped down in the face of mass protests. The Armed Forces Supreme Council, comprising the defence minister and top generals, says it will hand over power to an elected government after elections are held.

Tahrir Square, the symbolic heart of the uprising, has been cleared of protesters camping there by the military after the activists’ coalition ended its demonstrations as a gesture to the interim leadership. But protesters are planning a new mass demonstration on Friday, seeking to bring a million to the square to call for the release of political detainees and the cancellation of emergency laws.

The military leadership has set a swift timetable, aiming to have constitutional amendments drawn up within 10 days and a referendum to approve them within two months ahead of elections for a new parliament and ultimately a new civilian government.

Meanwhile Egypt’s foreign minister called for international aid to give the economy a boost.

Aboul Gheit, a member of the caretaker government, said he had received phone calls offering support from his American, British and Saudi counterparts. He urged them “to alert the international community to provide support to the Egyptian economy, which was gravely affected by the political crisis.”