EU urges Morsi to respect Egypt's democratic process
The European Union on Friday urged Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi to respect the democratic process after he assumed sweeping powers decried by the opposition as dictatorial
AFP, Friday 23 Nov 2012
"It is of utmost importance that democratic process be completed in accordance with the commitments undertaken by the Egyptian leadership," a spokesman for EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said in a statement.
Morsi must ensure the separation of powers, the independence of justice, the protection of fundamental freedoms and the holding of democratic parliamentary elections "as soon as possible," said spokesman Michael Mann.
Egypt's President Mohamed Morsi vowed Friday to press forward after he assumed sweeping powers decried by the opposition as dictatorial.
"No one can stop our march forward... I am performing my duty to please God and the nation and I take decisions after I consult with everyone," the official MENA news agency quoted him as saying.
President Mohamed Morsi's surprise Thursday Constitutional Declaration promoted political forces that had been planning to commemorate last year's Mohamed Mahmoud Street clashes on Friday to fine-tune their demands, as over 30 opposition political groups had said they would take part in Friday's protests.
Their demands included the dismissal of Morsi's cabinet; prosecuting police officers responsible for killing and injuring protesters in the series of clashes that followed last year's Tahrir Square uprising; and a purge and restructuring of Egypt's national police force.