Power Struggle Continues in Egypt - East Idaho News
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Power Struggle Continues in Egypt

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GETTY W 062512 EgyptMorsi?  SQUARESPACE CACHEVERSION=1341995758968AFP/GettyImages(CAIRO) — The tug of war for power in Egypt intensified on Tuesday when the country’s High Constitutional Court blocked a decree by the newly-elected Islamic president to reconvene the nation’s parliament.

Parliament did reconvene for a brief time on Tuesday -– less than an hour — but it was long enough for members to agree by a voice vote to take the issue of a dissolved government body to an appeals court.

Egypt’s parliament was disbanded in June by the country’s military leaders after the high court ruled the parliamentary elections were unconstitutional.

The country’s Supreme Council of Armed Forces has been in charge since the ouster last year of longtime leader Hosni Mubarak, and only turned over control to President Mohamed Morsi after giving itself legislative authority and stripping him of many presidential powers.

Morsi defied the court and the military council by calling parliament back into session.

Morsi’s supporters in his Freedom and Justice Party say parliament fills a legislative void, but political opponents say his decree just created a crisis.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton commented on the country’s political instability on Tuesday, saying, “We’ve seen over the last few days that there is a lot of work ahead for Egypt to keep this transition on course.  Democracy really is about empowering citizens to determine the direction of their own country.”

Clinton will travel to Egypt later this week.

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio

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