Egypt's president
Mohammed Morsi granted himself sweeping powers to oversee the country's political transition in the wake of his success in negotiating a ceasefire in
Gaza.
Mr Morsi declared unilaterally that until a new constitution is decreed all presidential decisions would be immune from legal challenge.
"The president can issue any decision or measure to protect the revolution," said his statement, read out on television by his personal spokesman, Yasser Ali.
"The constitutional declarations, decisions and laws issued by the president are final and not subject to appeal."
The announcement caused outrage.
Mohammed ElBaradei, the former head of the
International Atomic Energy Agency who returned to Egypt ito become a leader of the liberal opposition, accused Mr Morsi of declaring himself a "new pharaoh".
"Morsi today usurped all state powers and appointed himself Egypt's new pharaoh," Mr ElBaradei said on
Twitter. "A major blow to the revolution that could have dire consequences."
Mr Morsi's move was designed to short-cut a series of stalemates to Egypt's constitutional transition from the dictatorship of ex-President
Hosni Mubarak...
