Egypt's draft constitution approved by Constituent Assembly

CAIRO - Egypt's Constituent Assembly (CA) approved almost unanimously the final draft of constitution early Friday morning.

The voting in the CA, the constitution writing body, lasted nearly 17 hours. The approved version would be referred to President Mohamed Morsi later in the day.

A member of Egypt's constituent assembly walks during the last voting session on a new draft constitution at the Shura Assembly in Cairo, Nov 29, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

If Morsi gives a green light to the approved draft, a referendum will be prepared to decide whether to implement it.

So far, Egypt has formed two assemblies for the constitution. One was elected by the People's Assembly (lower house of the parliament) in March, while the CA was formed on June 12.

The constitution writing body rushed through the divisive charter amid large-scale demonstrations protesting a series of constitutional decree issued by Morsi Thursday last week.

The new constitutional declaration ruled that all laws, decrees and constitutional declarations issued by the president since June 30, 2012, when he assumed office, are final and unchallengeable by anybody.

The president's spokesman Yasser Ali said no judicial body is entitled to dissolve the Shura Council (upper house) or the CA.