CAIRO - Egypt's ruling military council is expected within the next week to call a referendum on constitutional amendments drawn up by an independent judicial committee, a member of the committee said on Sunday.

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Sobhi Saleh, a leading lawyer and a member of the committee, told Reuters the referendum would happen before the end of March.

The amendments unveiled on Saturday include changes that will open up competition for the presidency, limit the time a leader can stay in the post and ensure judicial oversight over elections.