(CAIRO) — A spokesman of Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood says it has canceled a planned mass rally in support of President Mohammed Morsi’s assumption of sweeping powers.
Morsi comes from the Brotherhood, which said it called off Tuesday’s street demonstration to “lessen congestion” and avoid “public tension.”
Morsi’s presidential decree gave him sweeping powers and immunity from judicial oversight, plunging Egypt into a new round of turmoil and street clashes.
Yasser Ali, a presidential spokesman, said Monday that Morsi assured judges that his decree is “temporary” and limited only to “sovereignty-related issues.”
Gamal Eid, a human rights lawyer, dismissed Ali’s remarks as “keeping Morsi above the law.”
Ali’s comments signaled Morsi’s resolve not to back down or compromise on the constitutional amendments he announced last week.