Morsi’s powers to be cut in half

CAIRO

Egypt’s new constitution will reduce the president’s powers by more than half, an official said. The president’s power to impose a state of emergency for an indefinite period of time will be stripped, said Gamal Gibril, rapporteur of the Constituent Assembly’s political system committee, according to Egypt Independent.

“The president will have the right to impose a state of emergency for a week, to be extended only with Parliament’s consent,” he said. The president will also have no right to appoint any members to the lower house of Parliament, but may appoint only ten members to the Senate, the upper house of Parliament. Gibril also said articles on legislative power were not going to be changed.