Egypt courts stop work in power struggle with president

Egypt's two highest appeals courts suspended worktoday in a crisis over new decrees adopted by President Mohammed Morsi thatplace him abovejudicial oversight, state television reported.

Judges across the country had vowed tostrike,whilehundreds of protesters camping out in Cairo's Tahrir Square vownot to leave until the presidentrescindsdecrees issued last week thatgive him sweeping new powers.

Afterreports of more violencebetween protesters and police overnight, clouds of tear gas hung over streets leading tothe square, where clashes have flared for several days.

Morsi defended his decrees,saying they will only be in placeuntil a new constitution is ratified and a new parliament elected.

"We have only one demand of Morsi," said protester Ehab Abdel Salam, "that he cancels his constitution declaration so the country will stabilize."

On Tuesday, more than 200,000protesters packed Tahrir Square in the biggest challenge yet to Morsi.

The same chants used against ousted president Hosni Mubarak during the Arab Spring revolts were tuned against Morsi as protesters shouted"erhal, erhal" Arabic for "leave, leave."

According to Reuters, Egypt's Cassation and Appeals courts plan tosuspend their work until the country'sconstitutional court rules on the president's decrees.

Morsi says he needs the extended powers to keepdemocratic reforms on track amidremnants of the former authoritarian regime,but they havefuelled abroader outpouring of anger against the president and his supporters from the Muslim Brotherhood.

Opposition leader Mohamed ElBaradei told Germany's Der Spiegel in an interview published Monday that there is growing concern in Egypt that they will draft a new constitution with "islamist undertones that marginalizes the rights of women and religious minorities."