Egypt’s President Mohamed Morsi’s advisers are tendering their resignations to protest against his constitutional declaration.

One of them is Morsi’s assistant for democratic transition Samir Morcos.

President Morsi made public Thursday his constitutional declaration wherein he granted himself sweeping legislative powers, while depriving the judiciary of their supervisory functions with regard to the upper house of parliament and the commission drafting Egypt’s new constitution.

The country’s democratic forces have flatly rejected the declaration, describing it as a coup. Morsi’s opponents have launched an indefinite protest in Cairo’s Tahrir Square.

The new constitutional declaration of Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi is designed to complete the transition in the country and was adopted after discussions with all political forces, according to a statement released by the presidential administration’s spokesman Yasser Ali.

On Thursday evening, Morsi unveiled a new constitutional declaration that delegated exclusive legislative authority to the president and deprived the courts of many of their oversight functions.

The democratic forces of the country strongly rejected the declaration, calling the document a “coup.”

Opponents of Morsi announced plans to hold indefinite protests in Tahrir Square in Cairo.

On Friday several hundred football fans gathered in the central square of Cairo for a rally organized by liberal parties against a new constitutional declaration.

The young people who gathered were very aggressive with many of them wearing masks and some even wearing helmets to protect themselves from stones which might be thrown.

Police attempted to push back the protesters from Tahrir Square when clashes broke out injuring at least 20 people.

On Thursday, Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi unveiled a new constitutional declaration, which has replaced the country’s basic laws.

In it he greatly expanded his own powers with many liberals calling the move a “coup”.

Voice of Russia, Russia-24, RIA

http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_11_24/Morsi-s-advisers-resign-to-protest-his-constitutional-declaration/