Female Egyptian supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood hold up portraits of Egypt’s ousted president Mohamed Morsi during a rally in Cairo on July 21, 2013. <\/p>\n
Egypt\u00e2\u201e\u00a2s interim government has begun amending the country\u00e2\u201e\u00a2s constitution amid continuing protests against the military coup that toppled the country\u00e2\u201e\u00a2s first democratically-elected President Mohamed Morsi.\n<\/p>\n
Interim President Adly Mansour on Saturday appointed a panel of four university professors and six judges to propose amendments to the constitution.\n<\/p>\n
According to the official MENA news agency on Sunday, the newly-appointed constitutional committee held talks on drafting a new constitution at the Shura Council, or upper house of parliament.\n<\/p>\n
The members of the committee have 30 days to finish their task. Then a 50-strong body, which represents different groups in Egyptian society, will review the amendments. They will submit final changes to the interim president, before he puts it to a referendum.\n<\/p>\n
Head of the Egyptian Armed Forces, General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, said on July 3 that Morsi was no longer in office. Sisi also suspended the constitution and dissolved the parliament.\n<\/p>\n
Morsi and his supporters wanted an Islamic constitution for the Muslim-majority nation but Morsi\u00e2\u201e\u00a2s opponents argued for a secular charter.\n<\/p>\n
In December 2012, about 64 percent of voters approved the constitution in a two-round referendum.\n<\/p>\n
On Sunday, the Muslim Brotherhood released a statement giving their plans for ending the political crisis in the North African. The group said the solution lies in Morsi’s reinstatement.\n<\/p>\n
The Brotherhood also called for the military to \u00c5\u201crespect the will of the people,\u201d by returning \u00c5\u201cconstitutional legitimacy, with the constitution, the president and the parliament.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
The statement added that when Morsi returns to office, he would carry out \u00c5\u201cthe reform initiative he committed to according to the constitution decided on by the people.\u201d<\/p>\n
On the same day, hundreds of female supporters of Morsi marched to the Egyptian Defense Ministry in the capital Cairo to protest the killing of three women at a rally in the Nile Delta city of Mansura on Friday.\n<\/p>\n
The protesters were confronted by soldiers who blocked their way to the ministry.\n<\/p>\n
On July 5, Muslim Brotherhood supreme leader Mohammed Badie said the coup against Morsi was illegal and millions would remain on the street until he is reinstated.\n<\/p>\n
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