Egypt’s Army, Islamists Discuss President’s Powers

Egyptian President-elect Mohamed Morsi met with generals in the Defense Ministry on Tuesday, reaching several agreements, Reuters reports. “We are working on reaching a compromise on various items so all parties are able to work together in the future,” said Essam Haddad, a senior Brotherhood member and aide to Morsi. According to Haddad, Morsi and the generals discussed possible amendments to the military’s constitutional decree, which curtails presidential powers. “We do not accept having a president without powers. The solution being worked out now is scaling back those restrictions so that President Mursi can deliver to the people what he promised,” he added. While the military will likely maintain control over the budget and internal affairs, the Muslim Brotherhood is pushing for the generals to loosen their grip on the constitutional assembly. According to a top Brotherhood official, the generals have agreed to relinquish their veto power over articles drafted by the 100-member assembly as long as 10 Islamist members are replaced by pro-military technocrats.