By Kristen Chick, Christian Science Monitor, March 28, 2012

Of the 100-member assembly elected this weekend to craft Egypt's new constitution, about a fifth resigned before the group met today to begin writing.

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In Translation: Egypt's constitutional crisis of consensus
By Issandr El Amrani, Arabist.net, March 24, 2012

[....] This is a serious issue, and not just for liberals and leftists. If there is a sizeable number of people who think the constitution is illegitimate and the consensus around is weak, there is a risk down the line that this would make a coup (soft or hard) easier. Egypt will be naturally coup-prone in the next few years, and while the Brothers say they want consensus, the Salafists have a more winner-takes-all approach and want to nominate figures such as Sheikh Mohammed Hassan, a popular preacher, who will push for a very strict interpretation of Sharia [....]

Update: Liberal parties have abandoned the nomination of the constituent assembly in protest [....]