Less than two years have passed since Egyptian dictator Hosni Mubarak was ousted from the presidency in a popular uprising, and the new incumbent is already showing signs of taking over where the last one left off. President Mohammed Morsi has been seeking absolute powers, leading to a strong suspicion that the new head of government is going to be no less anti-democratic than his reviled predecessor.
Specifically, on 22 November, Morsi issued a decree which purported to remove from the judiciary the power to challenge his decisions. The members of Egypt’s Supreme Constitutional Court were scheduled to meet to determine the legitimacy of the body which drafted the new constitution which is scheduled to be the subject of a referendum in two weeks’ time; however, they were physically prevented from attending the meeting by the president’s Muslim Brotherhood supporters.
In response, the Supreme Constitutional Court has suspended all work, and the Judges’ Club has issued a statement indicating that the judges will not oversee the forthcoming referendum in accordance with their traditional role. It is widely believed that the draft constitution undermines basic freedoms. Egypt’s troubles seem set to deepen.