Morsi scraps divisive decree

Egypt's president scrapped a decree that gave him extra powers and ignited violent protests as opposition was set to decide on further possible rallies in Cairo.
A Morsi aide said that the president had agreed to immediately give up the expanded powers he assumed in the decree, which gave him immunity from judicial oversight.
However, in a meeting with other political figures on Saturday, Morsi said the December 15 referendum on a controversial new constitution drafted by a panel dominated by his Islamist allies would still be held.
But rejecting the referendum, Egypt's opposition called for mass street protests tomorrow.
"We do not recognise the draft constitution because it does not represent the Egyptian people," the opposition National Salvation Front said in a statement read out at a news conference by spokesman Sameh Ashour.
"We reject the referendum which will certainly lead to more division and sedition," he said.
The demonstrations could lead to more violence if Morsi's supporters challenge them, as occurred on Wednesday when seven people were killed and hundreds injured in vicious clashes outside the presidential palace.
Demonstrators furious at what they saw as a power grab by Morsi and the railroading of the draft constitution have held weeks of street rallies whose demands have escalated into calls for the president's resignation.
Earlier, the April 6 Youth Movement dismissed Morsi's move as "a political manoeuvre aimed at duping the people," and called for continued protests to stop "the referendum on the constitution of the Muslim Brotherhood."
Prominent opposition leader Mohamed ElBaradei -- a former UN atomic agency chief and a Nobel Peace laureate -- tweeted after Morsi's announcement that "a constitution that curtails our rights and freedoms is a constitution we will topple."
On Wednesday, clashes between pro- and anti-Morsi demonstrators outside the presidential palace killed seven people and injured more than 600.
The army stepped in, deploying tanks and troops around the palace. Soldiers reinforced barricades on access roads early yesterday, piling up concrete blocks three metres (10 feet) high, an AFP correspondent reported.
Air force F-16 warplanes also flew low over the city centre, AFP correspondents reported.
On Saturday, the military issued its first statement since the crisis began, urging the rival camps to talk to stop the situation deteriorating -- "something we will not allow."
Hours later, Morsi's adviser Selim al-Awa announced the president was annulling the November 22 decree, but that the referendum would still go ahead.
The opposition has consistently demanded that both the decree and the referendum be scrapped before it will begin talks with Morsi.
Analysts have said the referendum will probably see the draft constitution adopted, given still strong public support for Morsi and the Brotherhood's organisational skills.