The Constitutional and Legislative Committee of the Egyptian People's Assembly on Tuesday endorsed the final draft of the constitutional amendments bill, the official MENA news agency reported.

After the endorsement, the final draft of the bill was referred to the Shura Council before it goes to vote before the legislature on March 20, the report said.

Following the approval in the parliament, the bill will go to a nationwide referendum due in April, but the precise date has yet to be set.

On Dec. 26 last year, President Hosni Mubarak proposed amendments to 34 constitutional articles to introduce comprehensive reforms to guarantee more democratic freedom in the country, according to MENA.

The amendments, the first major change in the constitution since 1971, covers the optimal election system and representation of political parties at the parliament and empowerment of women and bans the formation of political parties based on religious denomination.

Officially banned in 1954 for its attempt to set up an Islamic government, Egypt's largest Islamic opposition group Muslim Brotherhood has 88 seats in the 454-member People's Assembly after its members ran as independents in the 2005 legislative election.

Source: Xinhua