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Morsi's legal adviser tenders resignation

Arab World Materials 24 April 2013 06:35 (UTC +04:00)

Egypt's presidential adviser for legal affairs Fouad Gadallah has tendered his resignation on Tuesday, Xinhua reported.

"My resignation came for a number of reasons. First, there is not a clear vision for running the country and planning the future of Egypt," state-run Al-Ahram news website quoted Gadallah as saying.

Besides, there is persistence to keep the current government of Prime Minister Hesham Qandil regardless of its failure in politics, economy and security, he further said.

There are also attempts to assassinate the judicial authority, ruin its independence and reject its verdicts, Gadallah added.

Gadallah announced his resignation after an interview with an independent local newspaper published Tuesday, in which he criticized the recent massive anti-judiciary protests of Islamists, the main supporters of President Mohamed Morsi.

Gadallah argued that the judicial authority should be treated as an independent, sacred institution like the armed forces, stressing interference of the president's supporters in judicial affairs was against the country's best interest.

A draft law submitted to the country's legislative body by the Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party seeks to lower retirement age for judges to 60 instead of 70, which observers see as an Islamists' attempt to control the judiciary by appointing Islamist-oriented judges to replace more than 3,000 judges above the age of 60.

"It is unsuitable at this critical stage to attempt to pass an amended law concerning the judicial authority," added Gadallah in his resignation letter to Morsi.

"I announce my resignation to highlight the danger our country is experiencing," Gadallah continued, calling all rival parties and factions including Islamists and their liberal and leftist opponents to dialogue and unite for the sake of Egypt.

On Sunday, Egyptian Justice Minister Ahmed Mekki tendered his resignation also over the recent Islamist anti-judicary protests that called for purging the judiciary.

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