The original content of Democracy Now! Headlines appears under the Creative
Commons BY-NC-ND 3.0 License (United States). For more, including their other
shows and media, visit www.democracynow.org.
February 16, 2011

Egyptian Military Vows Democratic Transition in 6 Months 
---------------------------------------------------------



Egypt's governing military council has announced new steps in its
oversight of the transition from the longtime rule of former President
Hosni Mubarak. The council says it will hand authority to an elected
civilian government in six months. It's also instructed a legal panel to
draft a revised constitution within 10 days. The eight-member committee
has been tasked with redrafting six articles of the constitution and is
expected to amend sections concerning presidential term limits, judicial
oversight of elections, and the president's power to make constitutional
amendments and restrict civil liberties. Upon completion, the amended
constitution will be put to a popular referendum. The panel includes a
member of the once-banned Muslim Brotherhood. On Tuesday, the
Brotherhood announced for the first time it will form a political party
to run in parliamentary elections.



.