Egypt’s interim president Adly Mansour has appointed a panel of 10 legal experts to begin work amending Egypt’s constitution.

The writing of the new constitution is one of the first steps of the interim government’s transition roadmap leading up to parliamentary and presidential elections in early 2014.

The previous Egyptian constitution was suspended following the ousting of Mohamed Mursi on 3 July.

The former constitution was approved in a referendum held last December. However, many opposition groups boycotted the vote, criticising the constitution for being too pro-Islamist, failing to protect freedom of expression and granting Mursi wide-ranging new powers.

A draft of the new constitution will also be subject to a referendum later this year.

The Muslim Brotherhood, which supported the previous Mursi-led government, continues to denounce the 3 July coup as illegitimate and demand the reinstatement of Mursi.

It has held a number of rallies in Cairo protesting against the interim government. Clashes between pro-Mursi supporters and their opponents have become increasingly violent.

Three women were killed in pro-Mursi protests in the city of Mansoura on 19 July.