Egypt's Morsi fails to make D-8 summit after granting himself greater authorities

Officials in the Pakistani government declared on Friday that Egyptian President Mohammad Morsi canceled his trip for Pakistan.            

Morsi also failed to show up at the D-8 summit in Islamabad Thusday evening. The rare summit of the eight developing countries aims at discussing bilateral ties and means for mutual cooperation for developmental goals.                     

The D8 consists of Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Turkey.       

This after Morsi had decreed greater authorities for himself Thursday and effectively neutralized a judicial system that had emerged as a key opponent by declaring that the courts are barred from challenging his decisions.
     
Riding high on U.S. and international praise for mediating a Gaza cease-fire, Mohammad Morsi put himself above oversight and gave protection to the Islamist-led assembly writing a new constitution from a looming threat of dissolution by court order.
   
But the move is likely to fuel growing public anger that he and his Muslim Brotherhood are seizing too much power.
    
In what was interpreted by rights activists as a de facto declaration of emergency law, one of Morsi's decrees gave him the power to take "due measures and steps" to deal with any "threat" to the revolution, national unity and safety or anything that obstructs the work of state institutions.
    
Morsi framed his decisions as necessary to protect the revolution that toppled Hosni Mubarak nearly two years ago and to cement the nation's transition to democratic rule. Many activists, including opponents of the Brotherhood, criticize the judiciary as packed with judges and prosecutors sympathetic to Mubarak. Brotherhood supporters accuse the courts of trying to block their agenda.

Positions:

UN human rights commissioner said on Friday that he's very concerned about the Egyptian presidential new decree, stressing that it could cause very volatile situation in the next few days.

AP/LBCI