After Egypt's top court ruling Mursi headed for face-off with army

Cairo: Egypt’s top court on Friday rejected a decree by Muhammed Mursi to reinstate the parliament it had dissolved, with the newly elected president heading for a confrontation with the military that echoed judiciary’s views.

The presidential decree that came on Thursday had surprised several sections of the society, and questions were raised over its legal tenability.

Responding to the decree that nullified its order to dissolve the parliament on certain technical grounds, Egypt’s Supreme Constitutional Court said that all of its decisions were final and binding.

“All the rulings and decisions of the Supreme Constitutional Court are final and not subject to appeal… and are binding for all state institutions,” the court said in a statement.

The statement came after Parliamentary speaker Saad El-Katatni called for a general parliamentary session to take place on Saturday.

The court however stressed that it was “not a part of any political conflict… but the limit of its sacred duty is the protection of the texts of the constitution.”

Egypt’s military on Friday also said that the constitution and the law must be upheld concerning the dissolution of parliament.

The Supreme Council of the Armed forces (SCAF) underlined the “importance of the constitution in light of the latest developments,” the official MENA news agency reported.

The SCAF said in a statement that it had only agreed to dissolve parliament after the Supreme Constitutional Court ruled that the “People’s Assembly is invalid.”

The presidential decree that appears to have sparked a verbal oneupmanship puts the newly-elected dispensation in conflict with the judiciary on one side and the ruling military on the other.

PTI