Egypt parliament to meet in defiance of court

DHAAK: Egypt’s parliament is preparing to meet in defiance of a court order that dissolved it last month, pitting President Mohamed Mursi against the Supreme Constitutional Court and the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF).

The court rebuked newly elected Mursi on Monday, meeting in a special session to assert that the president had to abide the court’s decision, which found the manner of the parliamentary election unconstitutional.

Saad el-Katatni, speaker of parliament, said lawmakers would convene on Tuesday in response to Mursi’s decree, but it remained unclear which MPs would join, reports Al Jazeera.

Sherine Tadros, reporting from outside parliament in Cairo, said that not all the MPs would be attending today’s session.

‘Most of the parliamentarians belonging to liberal and secular parties have decided to boycott his mornings sessions,’ Al Jazeera said.

"They were not too upset when the parliament was dissolved last month, because the power balance was not really in their favour."

Egypt military ‘warns’ President

Egypt’s military council has said the decision to dissolve parliament must be upheld, after new President Mohammed Mursi ordered the assembly to reopen, reports BBC.

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, who was sworn in barely a week ago.

It could be the first confrontation between the military and the president since Mursi’s election.

On President Mursi’s orders, the speaker has convened a meeting of parliament on Tuesday.

Crowds were gathering in Tahrir Square ahead of the meeting called for 10:00 local time in defiance of the military’s decision.

The BBC in Cairo says the political truce in Egypt appears to be over.

BDST: 1420 HRS, JUL 10, 2012

Edited by Robab Rosan, Cultural Affairs Editor