Protesters in Cairo's Tahrir Square are rallying against Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi, hours after the president told the nation's top judges that elements of his new decree granting himself more powers and authority must stand.Earlier Tuesday, protesters clashed with police, throwing Molotov cocktails and hurling stones in anger against the president's political power grab.
On Monday, Morsi promised the Supreme Judicial Council that he will restrict his newly self-granted powers to sovereign matters. But there was no definition of the "sovereign matters" over which President Morsi will have absolute power.
Morsi granted himself that power in a November 22 decree that bars the judiciary from challenging his decisions.
Opposition groups have demanded the cancellation of Morsi's decree. They accuse him of trying to assume dictatorial powers like those of his longtime predecessor Hosni Mubarak, who was ousted in a 2011 popular uprising.
Morsi has defended his move as a temporary measure to speed up democratic reforms delayed by legal challenges under a judicial system with many Mubarak-era appointees. He has said his decree will last until new parliamentary elections are held under a revised constitution that must be approved in a national referendum.
Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood movement had planned to rally in Cairo on Tuesday in support of the president but later called off the event to avoid confrontation.
On Monday, Morsi promised the Supreme Judicial Council that he will restrict his newly self-granted powers to sovereign matters. But there was no definition of the "sovereign matters" over which President Morsi will have absolute power.
Morsi granted himself that power in a November 22 decree that bars the judiciary from challenging his decisions.
Opposition groups have demanded the cancellation of Morsi's decree. They accuse him of trying to assume dictatorial powers like those of his longtime predecessor Hosni Mubarak, who was ousted in a 2011 popular uprising.
Morsi has defended his move as a temporary measure to speed up democratic reforms delayed by legal challenges under a judicial system with many Mubarak-era appointees. He has said his decree will last until new parliamentary elections are held under a revised constitution that must be approved in a national referendum.
Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood movement had planned to rally in Cairo on Tuesday in support of the president but later called off the event to avoid confrontation.