Christian politician quits Egypt upper house as prosecutor launches probe against opposition

A Christian member of Egypt's upper house of parliament quit on Thursday, reflecting persistent political tensions just a day after the Islamist-dominated chamber took over legislative authority under a contentious new constitution.             

The Islamist-backed charter, approved in a referendum this month, is meant to be the cornerstone of a democratic and economically stable Egypt. But the opposition says it is too "Islamic" and does nothing to protect minorities.                 

The opposition fears that the Shura Council upper house, which will hold legislative authority until a new parliament is elected in early 2013, will issue laws curbing freedoms.                     

Morsi signed the new constitution into law this week after two thirds of Egyptian voters approved it in a two-stage referendum this month which the opposition said was marred by widespread violations.                         

Propelled to power by his Muslim Brotherhood allies this year, Morsi says the constitution and a subsequent vote to elect a permanent lower house will help stop political unrest and allow him to focus on burning economic issues.                     

Morsi and his Islamist allies have urged the opposition to engage in national unity talks to achieve much needed consensus to help end an economic crisis that has widened the budget deficit and sent the Egyptian pound to an eight-year low.       

Meanwhile, An Egyptian official said that the country's top prosecutor has ordered an investigation into accusations against opposition leaders of incitement to overthrow the regime.                 

The prosecution official said Thursday a judge will investigate the report filed last month accusing Mohammed ElBaradei, Nobel Prize laureate and former head of the U.N. nuclear agency, along with Amr Moussa, former foreign minister and Hamdeen Sabahi, a former presidential candidate, of inciting the overthrow of Egypt's first elected president, Mohammed Morsi.         

The official spoke on condition of anonymity in line with government policies.     

Separately, Egypt's public prosecutor has ordered that ousted President Hosni Mubarak be moved to an army hospital from his prison clinic on recommendations from a medical report, security sources said on Thursday.          

It was not yet clear when Mubarak would be moved and what those recommendations were; security sources told Reuters.     

Mubarak, who ruled Egypt for three decades, was forced out in February 2011 after a popular uprising. In June, he was sentenced to life in prison for his role in killing protesters during the uprising. He was admitted to a prison hospital that month following a health crisis.


LBCI/REUTERS/AP