Egypt to downgrade its president

The Muslim Brotherhood is devising a blueprint for a parliamentary democracy that would overturn Egypt’s tradition of strong heads of state, flexing its muscles after emerging as the country’s dominant political force. The plan has emerged since the Islamist movement took the biggest share of seats in parliament, allowing it to challenge the generals ruling Egypt.

The Brotherhood has decided not to field a candidate for the presidency but was free to deploy its formidable grassroots campaign machine unhindered in the parliamentary vote and won almost half of the seats on offer in the lower house. Under a plan outlined by senior officials, the presidency would be downgraded to a largely ceremonial role within four years and parliament would gradually take control of defence and foreign affairs from the military. “We want a system where the prime minister liaises with parliament to pick the cabinet,” said Mohamed Saad al-Katatni, secretary-general of the Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice Party. “The PM will have most powers of government ... The president’s powers would be limited.”