Washington calls for calm, dialogue in Egypt

Washington said on Friday that the new constitutional declaration issued earlier by President Mohamed Morsi was a matter of concern, calling for calm and dialogue. "The decisions and declarations announced on November 22 raise concerns for many Egyptians and for the international community," State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said in a statement. "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." The spokeswoman said the constitutional vacuum in Egypt "can only be resolved by the adoption of a constitution that includes checks and balances, and respects fundamental freedoms, individual rights, and the rule of law consistent with Egypt's international commitments." "We call for calm and encourage all parties to work together and call for all Egyptians to resolve their differences over these important issues peacefully and through democratic dialogue," she said.