An Egyptian flag flutters at the High Court of Justice in Cairo (Photo: Reuters)
The General Assembly of Administrative Prosecution announced on Wednesday its complete rejection of the constitutional declaration of 22 November, confirming that its members will not be supervising the national referendum on the draft constitution until the decree is cancelled.
The assembly, which represents prosecutors who investigate administrative violations by government employees, also said that they will reject any referendum that is not supervised by all of the judiciary.
The assembly further condemned a recent attack on the High Constitutional Court (HCC), referring to the hundreds of pro-Morsi supporters who besieged the court on Saturday pressuring it to postpone the case looking into the constitutionality of the Shura Council (the upper house of parliament).
The assembly also demanded that a committee is formed to investigate and hold accountable those responsible for assaulting the HCC.
The Judges Club declared their full support for all judges and prosecutors who refused to monitor the referendum scheduled for 15 December, and the all revolutionaries "fighting against injustice, oppression and for freedom," referring to protesters who took to the streets in the past week against the constitutional declaration and the draft constitution.
Several of Egypt's main courts, including the Constitutional Court and the Appeals Court, have joined a strike called for the by the Judges Club last week, demanding that the declaration be rescinded.
The constitutional declaration stated that the president's decisions cannot be overturned by any judicial authority. Morsi now has legislative, executive, and constitutional authorities, leading some opposition figures and protesters to dub him "a new Pharaoh."
Hundreds of thousands of protesters took to the streets on Tuesday to protest the constitutional declaration, as well as the planned referendum over the draft constitution. The president has stated that the declaration and all constitutional declarations issued since the January 25 revolution will be cancelled upon the approval of the controversial draft constitution.
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