CAIRO, Dec 4 (Aswat Masriya) Egypt’s Dar al-Iftaa has encouraged the people to participate in the upcoming constitutional referendum, said the state news agency MENA.

It pointed out that it will not direct the people to vote for the draft constitution or vice versa though.  

The assembly amending Egypt’s constitution finished working on the draft on Monday and has presented it to the interim president for ratification. 

Interim President Adli Mansour is expected to call for the referendum within 3, in accordance with the roadmap announced on July 3.

Chaired by Amr Moussa, the 50-member constituent assembly was formed in September to amend a constitution written and passed by an Islamist-led assembly at the end of last year under the Mohamed Mursi administration. 

The constitutional referendum, which according to interim Prime Minister Hazem el-Beblawi will take place in the second half of January, will be followed by parliamentary then presidential elections. 

Egypt’s army ousted Mursi in July in response to mass demonstrations across the country, suspended the constitution and announced early presidential elections.