Members of the constituent assembly discussed on Monday articles on the task of the armed forced in the new constitution and split over two different proposals on the authority responsible for declaring war, the Middle East News Agency (MENA) reported Judge Maged Shebeita, member of the assembly's ruling system committee, as saying.

The first proposal stated that the Supreme Council of Armed Forces (SCAF) and the National Defence Council should approve of the president's decision to declare war while the second one proposed getting the approval of the people's assembly only.

Representatives of the military council in the assembly said that they wanted the president to announce a state of war after acquiring the approval of the SCAF, Judge Nour al-Din Ali, member of the committee, said.

Most of the other members want the article which states that "the president is the supreme commander of the armed forces and is the one to announce a state of war" to remain unchanged and as is stated in the 1971 constitution, Ali added.

The complementary constitutional declaration which the military council issued on June 17 and president Mursi later annulled stated that the president announces a state of war after getting the approval of the SCAF.