Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi has signed a decree that gives him new sweeping powers. The presidential decree states that any challenges to his decrees, laws and decisions were banned, including by the judiciary.
Morsi signed the decree the day after he won international praise for his diplomatic efforts to broker the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
Today angry demonstrators torched the Cairo offices of the Muslim Brotherhood in protest at the decree. Among Egypt’s secular opposition groups, there was mounting alarm over Morsi’s declaration that no court could dissolve the country’s Constituent Assembly, which is drawing up a new Egyptian constitution.
A leading Egyptian opposition figure Mohamed ElBaradei accused Morsi of usurping authority and acting like a new Pharaoh.
Not surprising at all. History shows that Arab lands always end up being ruled by dictators ever since the rise of Islam.
CAIRO (Reuters) – Angry youths hurled rocks at security forces and burned a police truck as thousands gathered in central Cairo to protest at Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi’s decision to grab sweeping new powers.
Police fired tear gas near Tahrir Square, heart of the 2011 uprising that toppled Hosni Mubarak at the height of the Arab Spring. Thousands demanded that Mursi should quit and accused him of launching a “coup”.
There were also violent protests in Alexandria, Port Said and Suez.
Mursi on Thursday issued a decree that puts his decisions beyond any legal challenge until a new parliament is elected. Opponents immediately accused him of turning into a new Mubarak and hijacking the Egyptian revolution.
“This is the point of no return for Mursi. He has dug himself deeper in a hole and won’t know how to get out of it,” said Ahmed Saleh, an activist who said many would stay in Tahrir square until Mursi withdrew the decree.
“The people want to bring down the regime,” shouted protesters in Tahrir, echoing a chant used in the uprising that forced Mubarak to step down.
The United States, the European Union and the United Nations expressed concern at Mursi’s move.
Mursi’s rivals condemned him as an autocratic pharaoh who wanted to impose his Islamist vision on Egypt.
The president’s aides said the decree was intended to speed up a protracted transition to democracy that has been hindered by legal obstacles
“I am for all Egyptians,” Mursi said on a stage outside the presidential palace, adding that he was working for social and economic stability and remained committed to the revolution.
This is a surprising development. Morris was being treated like the Obama of the Arab world where everything he did was accepted by default as good for the nation. The fact that this uprising happened shows that the youth may still yet have a chance to bring Egypt into the 21st century.