MEPs worried about President Mursi's sweeping new powers

BRUSSELS: Grave concerns about the sweeping new powers that Egypt's draft constitution grants to President Mohamed Mursi were voiced in a Foreign Affairs Committee debate on Monday evening.

"This is a critical moment, when all politicalparties and entities should be discussing the issues and working together"said committee vice- chair Andrey Kovatchev (EPP, BG) regretting Egypt's deepening political division.

Many MEPs expressed worries about the sweeping new powersthat a recent presidential decree conferred on President Mursi. They stressedthe need for consensus but also the need to stand by "more for more" principleson EU aid to Egypt.

"All EU aid to Egyptis subject to conditionality and that has been made very clear also in Egypt",said EU Special Representative forthe southern Mediterranean  BernardinoLéon, stressing the need to step up the EU's commitment to Egypt.