Egyptian president Mohamed Mursi has ordered the country’s dissolved parliament to reconvene, a move which the Washington Post has described as “a bold stroke that will test the limits of the fledgling government’s power and provoke a confrontation with the country’s military leaders.”
Egypt’s official news agency MENA reported that "President Mursi has issued a presidential decree annulling the decision taken on June 15, 2012 to dissolve the people's assembly, and invites the chamber to convene again and to exercise its prerogatives” and in reaction the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (Scaf) had convened an "urgent meeting under the chairmanship of Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi to discuss the presidential measures."
MENA said that Mursi’s decree also specifies "the organisation of elections for the chamber, 60 days after the approval by referendum of the country's new constitution and the adoption of a new law regulating parliament."
The Parliament, dominated by the Muslim Brotherhood and other Islamist parties was dissolved by a court order, which was imposed by military generals on the eve of the Egyptian presidential elections. They claimed the result was unconstitutional as party members contested seats reserved for independents.
Election results indicate Muslim Brotherhood win - Egypt (18 Jun 2012)
