Morsi under siege as liberal dissent grows

26 November 2012 - 02:29 By Sapa-AP
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Prominent Egyptian democracy advocate Mohamed ElBaradei . File photo
Prominent Egyptian democracy advocate Mohamed ElBaradei . File photo

Prominent Egyptian democracy advocate Mohamed ElBaradei has warned of increasing turmoil that could lead to the military stepping in unless the Islamist president rescinds his assumption of new, near-absolute powers.

His warning was made as the country's opposition groupings sought to make a united protest.

Egypt's liberal and secular forces - long divided, weakened and uncertain amid the rise of Islamist parties to power - are trying to make a common response to the decrees issued this week by President Mohamed Morsi.

The president granted himself sweeping powers to "protect the revolution" and made himself immune to judicial oversight.

The judiciary, which was the main target of Morsi's edicts, pushed back late on Saturday.

The Supreme Judicial Council called his decrees an "unprecedented assault".

Courts in Alexandria announced a work suspension until the decrees were lifted. Outside the high court building in Cairo, demonstrators rallied against Morsi, chanting: "Leave! Leave!" echoing the slogan used against former leader Hosni Mubarak in last year's uprising that ousted him.

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