Morsi: New powers temporary, urges dialogue

Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi said on Sunday the sweeping new powers he has assumed are only temporary and called for dialogue to find common political ground, as he faces a showdown with judges over the path to a new constitution. "The presidency reiterates the temporary nature of the said measures, which are not meant to concentrate power, but... to devolve it to a democratically elected parliament... as well as as preserving the impartiality of the judiciary and to avoid politicising it," a statement from Morsi's office said. Under a constitutional declaration on Thursday, Morsi can issue "any decision or measure to protect the revolution," which are final and not subject to appeal. That touched off a showdown with the judges and sparked charges by the opposition that Morsi was taking on dictatorial powers. The latest statement reaffirmed what was said on Thursday, that the measures would apply only until a new constitution is adopted and elections held. It said it had been "deemed necessary in order to hold accountable those responsible for the corruption as well as the other crimes during the previous regime and during the transitional period." That was a reference to the regime of long-time president Hosni Mubarak, who was ousted by a popular uprising early last year. Some 850 protesters were killed during the revolt, and hundreds more have died since. Morsi ordered new investigations into those deaths, and new prosecutor general Talaat Ibrahim Abdallah said "revolutionary courts" would be set up that could see Mubarak, his sons and his top security chiefs retried "should there be new evidence." Mubarak and his interior minister were sentenced to life over the killing of protesters in last year's popular uprising against him, but six security chiefs were acquitted in the same case sparking nationwide outrage. The statement said "these measures will preserve the rights of martyrs and victims, which is a fundamental issue for the Egyptian public opinion." It also said the presidency "stresses its firm commitment to engage all political forces in the inclusive democratic dialogue to reach a common ground and bridge the gap in order to reach a national consensus on the constitution, which will be the cornerstone of Egyptian modern institutions." As a first step, Morsi is to meet the Supreme Judicial Council on Monday, while his justice minister Ahmed Mekki held preliminary talks with the council on Sunday, according to the president's spokesman Yasser Ali. Former UN nuclear watchdog chief Mohamed ElBaradei, and former presidential candidates Hamdeen Sabbahi, Amr Mussa and Abdelmoneim Abul Futuh, said in a joint statement on Saturday that they would have no dialogue with Morsi until he rescinded his decree. -- Clashes, protests and strikes -- ----------------------------------- Tahrir Square, one of the capital's crossroads, remained closed to traffic on Sunday as Morsi opponents pressed a sit-in. On the outskirts of the square, clashes between police and protesters entered their second week, with the violence occasionally spilling into the square. Separately, hundreds of Morsi supporters demonstrated late on Sunday in front of mosques in Cairo and across the country in protests called for by the Muslim Brotherhood, from which the president hails, witnesses said. Anti-riot police began erected a concrete barrier to keep the Tahrir protesters away from nearby government buildings, witnesses said, adding that they made a string of arrests in streets surrounding the square. The Muslim Brotherhood has also called a "million man" demonstration on Tuesday, but have changed the location in an apparent bid to avoid clashes on the day. The courts had already dissolved the Islamist-dominated lower house of parliament, and a high court ruling due next month could have forced the prolongation of an already turbulent transition, the Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party said. It said the decree was a necessary move to prevent the courts from disbanding the Islamist-dominated panel drawing up the new constitution. The judges have hit back, denouncing "an unprecedented attack on the independence of the judiciary and its rulings," and calling for the courts to stop work nationwide. Judges in two of the country's 27 provinces, including Mediterranean metropolis Alexandria, heeded the strike call on Sunday while those in the rest were meeting to decide their response, the Judges Club said. Share prices on the Egypt Exchange plunged 9.59 percent on Sunday in the face of the deepening political crisis, closing at 4,917.73 points, with heavy selling forcing a half-hour suspension of trade at one point.