Military 'warns' new president

Wednesday, 11 July 2012 09:57

Written by Editor

Egypt's military council has said the decision to dissolve the country's parliament must be upheld, after new President Mohammed Mursi ordered the assembly to reopen. The military closed parliament last month after a court ruling. Its latest intervention is seen by some as a challenge and warning to the president, sworn in barely a week ago.

Earlier on Monday, the Supreme Constitutional Court rejected the decree issued by Mr Mursi the day before to reconvene the Muslim Brotherhood-dominated parliament. The court said its June 14th ruling – that part of last year's parliamentary election was unconstitutional – was binding and final. But army units posted outside the parliament building had already left and some MPs had gone in for the first time since the assembly was dissolved.

Despite the apparent tensions, President Mursi and Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, who heads Scaf, appeared together at a military cadet graduation ceremony on Monday (picture). Mr Mursi won the country's first free presidential election last month, and army chiefs formally handed over power on June 30th.
The military had previously granted itself sweeping powers. The commanders' declaration stripped the president of any authority over the military, gave military chiefs legislative powers, and the  veto over the new constitution, which has yet to be drafted.