Show of strength on Egypt streets

Muslim Brotherhood rallies support for Morsi

CAIRO: Egypt’s powerful Muslim Brotherhood has called nationwide demonstrations in support of Islamist President Mohamed Morsi in his showdown with judges over the path to a new constitution.

The show of strength on the streets by Morsi supporters had the potential of triggering clashes with opponents of the sweeping new powers he assumed on Thursday.

Before dawn, the hardcore of liberal activists, who spent the night in the iconic Tahrir Square, fought off an attempt by Morsi supporters to burn down the 30 or so tents they had erected in the square.

The Brotherhood’s political arm insists that the president’s decree placing his decisions beyond judicial review was a necessary move to

One of the aspirations of the revolution was to ensure that power would not be overtly concentrated in the hands of any one person or institution. — VICTORIA NULAND

prevent the courts disbanding the Islamist-dominated panel drawing up a new constitution as they have already the Islamist-dominated lower house of parliament.

A ruling that had been due from the highest court next month would have had the potential to prolong an already turbulent transition from veteran strongman Hosni Mubarak’s rule since his overthrow in a popular uprising early last year.

But the judges hit back denouncing “an unprecedented attack on the independence of the judiciary and its rulings” and calling for the courts to stop work nationwide.

Washington, which had praised Morsi’s role in brokering a truce between Israel and Gaza’s Hamas rulers to end eight days of deadly violence, has led international criticism of his power grab.

“One of the aspirations of the revolution was to ensure that power would not be overly concentrated in the hands of any one person or institution,” US State Department spokesman Victoria Nuland said. — AFP