The Egyptian president has cancelled a decree that gave him sweeping powers and sparked deadly violence.

"It is decided that the constitutional decree issued on 21 November 2012 is cancelled as of today."

But his Muslim Brotherhood said a referendum on a new constitution would go ahead as planned on Dec. 15, and protesters at Tahrir square are not impressed.

The political turmoil has exposed deep rifts between the Islamists and their rivals who fear religious conservatives will restrict social freedoms.

Reuters TV reports

 

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