Cairo: Islamist candidate Mohammed Morsi declared victory on Monday in Egypt’s first free presidential poll since Hosni Mubarak’s ouster 16 months ago.
But just as polls were closing, the ruling military council issued constitutional amendments that gave sweeping authority to maintain its grip on power and subordinate the nominal head of state.
After the last-minute power grab on Sunday night, the ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) pledged on Monday to honour its promise to hand over power to the newly elected president by the end of this month. But the constitutional amendments stripped the president of almost all significant powers.
The military decreed that it will have legislative authority after a court dissolved the parliament, it will control the drafting a new constitution and will not allow civilian oversight of its significant economic interests or other affairs.
Morsi represents the Muslim Brotherhood, an Islamic fundamentalist group which has emerged as the most powerful political faction since the uprising.
The Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice Party rejected the constitutional declaration, saying it was no longer within the authority of the military council to issue such a decree with less than two weeks left for the transfer of power.
The constitutional declaration made almost simultaneously with polls on Sunday night was the third major blow in a week to hopes for a democratic transition that arose from the uprising. On Wednesday, the military gave itself broad powers to arrest civilians even on minor offences like traffic violations. On Thursday, a court stacked with Mubarak-era appointees dissolved parliament. AP
Deeply concerned, says Pentagon
The United States is “deeply concerned” about a constitutional decree issued by the Egyptian military but expects the armed services to transfer full power to an elected civilian government as previously promised, the Pentagon said on Monday. The military council issued a decree saying it would retain legislative powers until a new parliament is elected and would decide all military matters until a new constitution is written. AP
But just as polls were closing, the ruling military council issued constitutional amendments that gave sweeping authority to maintain its grip on power and subordinate the nominal head of state.
After the last-minute power grab on Sunday night, the ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) pledged on Monday to honour its promise to hand over power to the newly elected president by the end of this month. But the constitutional amendments stripped the president of almost all significant powers.
The military decreed that it will have legislative authority after a court dissolved the parliament, it will control the drafting a new constitution and will not allow civilian oversight of its significant economic interests or other affairs.
Morsi represents the Muslim Brotherhood, an Islamic fundamentalist group which has emerged as the most powerful political faction since the uprising.
The Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice Party rejected the constitutional declaration, saying it was no longer within the authority of the military council to issue such a decree with less than two weeks left for the transfer of power.
The constitutional declaration made almost simultaneously with polls on Sunday night was the third major blow in a week to hopes for a democratic transition that arose from the uprising. On Wednesday, the military gave itself broad powers to arrest civilians even on minor offences like traffic violations. On Thursday, a court stacked with Mubarak-era appointees dissolved parliament. AP
Deeply concerned, says Pentagon
The United States is “deeply concerned” about a constitutional decree issued by the Egyptian military but expects the armed services to transfer full power to an elected civilian government as previously promised, the Pentagon said on Monday. The military council issued a decree saying it would retain legislative powers until a new parliament is elected and would decide all military matters until a new constitution is written. AP
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