CAIRO, Dec 5, 2012 (AFP) –
Three of Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi’s advisers have resigned, state media said, as clashes raged Wednesday outside the presidential palace over his expanded powers and a disputed draft constitution.
Amr al-Laythi, Seif Abdel Fattah and Ayman al-Sayyad, all advisers to the Islamist president, had handed in their resignation, Egypt’s official MENA news agency reported.
Laythi and Sayyad had submitted their resignations a week ago in protest against a presidential decree that gave Morsi sweeping new powers, MENA added.
Supporters and opponents of Morsi clashed outside the presidential palace on Wednesday, with riot police trying to break up the violence and the health ministry saying that so far at least 211 people had been injured.
The crisis was sparked by the November 22 decree and was exacerbated by a constitution which was drafted by an Islamist-dominated panel and is set for a popular vote on December 15.
Opponents want the decree and draft constitution withdrawn, saying the charter does not guarantee freedom of expression and rights for religious minorities.
