Tens of thousands of Egyptians protested against President Mohamed Morsi on Friday after an Islamist-led assembly raced through the approval of a new constitution in a bid to end a crisis over the leader’s newly expanded powers.
Power grab or pre-emptive strike against Mubarak-era judges? François Picard’s panel argues over the motives behind the Muslim Brotherhood-led rush to approve Egypt’s new constitution. Also, Israel answers the UN’s nod to the Palestinians with more settlements, and the hot air from politicians over global warming.
The panel drafting Egypt’s new constitution limited presidential incumbency to two four-year terms in a final vote on Friday. The constitutional draft now goes to the president for ratification before being put to a public referendum.
An Islamist-dominated assembly on Thursday began voting on a draft of a new constitution for Egypt that President Mohamed Morsi hopes will quell the violent protests taking place across the country.
The assembly writing Egypt’s constitution has said it is nearing a final draft, a move welcomed by the Muslim Brotherhood as a way to calm protesters who say President Mohamed Morsi’s recent decree grants him dictatorial powers.
IN THE INTERNATIONAL PAPERS, Wednesday 28 November: "Remove the decree, or get out!" - a stark message to the Egyptian president adorns the front page of Al Masry al Youm this Wednesday; meanwhile, Gulf News analyses why Egyptians are more cynical than ever when it come to their political leaders; and Israeli paper Haaretz argues that Palestinians should be given "their own state".
Violent clashes in Cairo continued as opposition protests spread beyond the capital to the rest of Egypt on Wednesday, plunging the country deeper into its worst political crisis since President Mohamed Morsi came to power in June.
A mass rally by Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood in support of President Morsi's controversial decree was cancelled on Monday out of fear of further bloodshed. Morsi stood by his decree during talks with the country's top judges .
We go to Israel and Gaza, where a ceasefire has been agreed after the worse fighting there in four years. Next, Jordan sees fresh demonstrations demanding political and economic change. Finally, the body of former Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat is exhumed to see if he really was poisoned to death.
International Papers, Monday 26th November: Egyptian daily Al Masry Al Youm looks at how the president’s new rulings might affect press freedom; The International Herald Tribune questions how billions of dollars of aid money has done nothing to stop violence in DR Congo; and it’s a nervous week for UK newspapers, as well as the UK government, as the results are published of the Leveson inquiry into press freedom.
