Egypt’s parliament set to meet in defiance of the army

Supporters of Egypt’s newly elected president are backing his defiant stance against the military barely a week since taking office.

Today the country’s parliament will reconvene on Mohamed Morsi’s orders despite the army’s dissolution of the assembly.

The military council which has run Egypt since the ousting of President Mubarak has sought to limit the president by taking the legislative powers for itself.

“We have the legitimacy of an elected president, he is the one who has the right to reconvene the parliament. He was elected by thirty million Egyptians,” said one Morsi supporter.

Morsi’s decision hands back law making powers to a parliament packed with his Islamist allies. It means opposition parties have their own misgivings.

Emad Gad, member of parliament for the liberal Free Egyptians party said:

“The liberal and leftist parties will abstain from participating in the parliament session. To show respect for the law.”

Morsi’s decision could end a brief honeymoon with the military council which has already made what some people see as veiled warning that they expect the constitution to be respected.

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