Egyptian Leaders Meet in Defiance of Court and Military

[jade3000]

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/11/world/middleeast/egyptian-parliamentary-deputies-defy-court-and-military.html

CAIRO — Summoned by a decree from the newly elected president, Egypt’s Parliament met on Tuesday for the first time since the nation’s military rulers dissolved it three weeks ago, escalating a power struggle between the Islamist elected officials and the top generals.

In a 15-minute session, the Parliament voted to appeal the court decision authorizing its shutdown, and Egypt’s Constitutional Court, one of three courts considering the issue, later responded with a rebuke insisting that the Parliament remain closed.

The appeal creates a chaotic mess of conflicting legal authorities and jurisdictions that suggests the dispute over the Parliament is unlikely to end any time soon. And it underscored the fact that even 18 months after the ouster of President Hosni Mubarak, both the newly elected Islamists and the military leaders remain determined to seek legitimacy from the existing courts even though they are a vestige of the old Mubarak system.

The newly elected president, Mohamed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood, issued a decree on Sunday night calling back the lawmakers, and the generals promptly rejected his order.

Things are getting really, really messy in Egypt. This article explains some of it. I apologize if it was posted already.