- Title: EGYPT: Republican Guard deployed ahead of palace march
- Date: 9th December 2012
- Summary: CAIRO, EGYPT (DECEMBER 9, 2012) (REUTERS) AERIAL VIEW OF REPUBLICAN GUARD MARCHING AERIAL VIEW OF REPUBLICAN GUARD MARCHING TO LOCATION GUARD STAND NEAR PRESIDENTIAL PALACE GATE VARIOUS OF GUARD MARCHING TO VARIOUS LOCATIONS MORE OF GUARD CROSSING GUARD MARCHING FROM BEHIND WALL ERECTED NEAR PRESIDENTIAL PALACE GUARD MARCHING NEAR ARMY TANK GUARD MARCHING TOWARDS WALL GUARD MARCH TOWARDS WALL TO STAND GUARD FROM BEHIND THE WALL
- Embargoed: 24th December 2012 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Egypt
- City:
- Country: Egypt
- Topics: Conflict,Defence / Military
- Reuters ID: LVA6BXQ6UPU8H0O46Y0O4BDV6OYA
- Aspect Ratio:
- Story Text: Egypt's Republican Guard were deployed to the streets surrounding the presidential palace on Sunday (December 9) ahead of planned demonstrations.
Protests were planned near President Mohamed Mursi's palace, despite tanks, barbed wire and other barriers installed last week after clashes between Islamists and their rivals killed seven people.
Demonstrators opposed to Mursi's recent decree which gave him extensive powers, were still unhappy despite his decision on Saturday (December 8) to scrap it.
After dialogue with some opposition forces hosted by Mursi, a spokesman announced that the president had issued a new decree whose first article "cancels the constitutional declaration" of November 22. He said the referendum could not be delayed for legal reasons.
But opponents said on Sunday that Mursi had deepened the conflict by pressing on with a vote on a constitution shaped by Islamists. Opposition factions, uncertain of their ability to vote down the constitution against the Islamists' organisational muscle, want the document redrafted before any vote.
The new decree removed some parts of the old one that had angered the opposition, including an article that had given Mursi broad powers to confront threats to the revolution or the nation - wording that critics said gave him arbitrary authority.
It also dropped an article that had shielded Mursi's actions from the courts until a new parliament was elected, reflecting his distrust of a judiciary largely unreformed from Mubarak's era.
But the new decree said "constitutional declarations including this declaration" remained beyond judicial review.
The new decree also set procedures to form an assembly to write a new constitution if Egyptians vote this draft down.
The National Salvation Front, the opposition faction comprised of Mohamed El-Baradei, Amr Moussa and Hamdeen Sabahy has promised a formal response later on Sunday. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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