Morsi maintains necessity of constitutional decree

Mohammed Morsi has backed the necessity of his constitutional decree, which will “protect the path of a successful democratic transition”, he announced in a new official statement on Sunday. The decree, which states that the Egyptian President’s decision cannot be challenged by any official body and prevent the dissolution of the Constituent Assembly, sparked rage across Egypt last week. In his statement, President Morsi said: “This declaration is deemed necessary in order to hold accountable those responsible for the corruption as well as other crimes during the previous regime. […]  The presidency reiterates the temporary nature of the said measures, which are not meant to concentrate power, but on the contrary to avoid any attempt to undermine or abort two democratically elected bodies as well as preserving the impartiality of the judiciary.” But the statement also insisted on the necessity of a national consensus: “The presidency stresses its firm commitment to engage all political forces in the inclusive democratic dialogue […] to reach a national consensus on the constitution which will be the cornerstone of Egyptian modern institutions.”