Egypt’s Morsi annuls constitutional declaration

Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi has decided to annul his constitutional declaration expanding his powers, a spokesman for a meeting between Morsi and the country’s political leaders said on Sunday, RIA Novosti reports.

“The decision has been made to issue a new constitutional declaration,” Islamist politician Selim al-Awa said after the meeting.

Awa also said the referendum on a new draft constitution will not be postponed and will take place at the scheduled date, on December 15.

Prime Minister Hisham Qandil told journalists on Saturday that Morsi has agreed to delay the referendum on a new draft constitution and amend the controversial decree giving him broader powers he issued on November 22.

Morsi met with leaders of several opposition political parties in his residence on Saturday. The sides were discussing ways out of the current political crisis in the country as part of a national dialogue the president called for on Thursday.