Egyptian president ready to delay referendum

Updated: 2012-12-08 03:42

(Xinhua)

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CAIRO - Egypt's Justice Minister Ahmed Miky said Friday that President Mohamed Morsi is "ready" to postpone the constitutional referendum scheduled for December 15, if the opposition accepts dialogue without prior conditions, Al-Ahram online reported.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Election Commission decided Friday to delay the voting of Egyptians abroad on the draft constitution, from December 8 to December 12, upon the request of Egypt's Foreign Ministry.

On Friday evening, flocks of protesters arrived at the presidential palace in Cairo, and tens of them managed to break through the barbed wires placed by the presidential guards to block the way leading to the palace.

Earlier in the day, several hundreds opponents of Morsi gathered outside the presidential palace, demanding him to resign. Some shouted "Down with Muslim Brotherhood rule!" and "Open! Open! " while attempting in vain to break through the barbed wires into the palace.

Morsi delivered a speech Thursday night after bloody clashes between his opponents and supporters outside the presidential palace killed six and injured over 1,000.

He invited the opposition to sit down for dialogue on Saturday, but was rejected by them who wanted Morsi to freeze the controversial constitutional declaration before any negotiations.

On November 22, Morsi issued a constitutional declaration which rules that all laws, decrees and constitutional declarations issued by the president since he came into office on June 30 are final and unchallengeable by anybody, which triggered a nationwide wave of protests and demonstrations.