Egypt's prosecutor-general, Talaat Ibrahim Abdullah, has said he submitted his resignation on Monday out of respect for his profession and not due to protests by judges.

Speaking by phone on Al-Hayat's Al-Hayat Al-Youm programme on Wednesday night, Abdullah said if the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) does not accept his resignation he will consider his options.

Abdullah added that if the draft constitution is approved in the ongoing referendum, the next prosecutor-general would be appointed by the SJC, not President Mohamed Morsi.

Abdullah, who has been in the post less than a month, replaced Mubarak-appointed Abdel-Meguid Mahmoud after President Morsi's controversial constitutional declaration on 22 November. The declaration included an article that shortened the prosecutor-general's term of office to four years, ensuring that Abdel-Meguid would have to leave his post as he was appointed in 2006.

On Monday, following a protest by hundreds of judges and prosecutors in protest at Morsi's decision to replace Abdel-Meguid Mahmoud in such a "dictatorial manner," Abdullah announced his resignation. He is currently waiting for it to be accepted by the SJC. 

His resignation comes amidst increasing political turbulence and a nationwide constitutional referendum. The second phase of the referendum will take place on Saturday. A majority of judges have refused to oversee the poll in protest at President Morsi's recent decisions.  

On Wednesday, the head of the Supreme Electoral Commission (SEC) tasked with monitoring the referendum, Judge Zaghloul El-Balshi, resigned from his post, citing health reasons.