More Egypt protests called after Morsi partial concession

CAIRO (AP) - Egypt's liberal opposition called for more protests on Sunday, seeking to keep up the momentum of its street campaign after the president made a partial concession overnight but refused its main demand he rescind a draft constitution going to a referendum on Dec 15.

President Mohammed Mursi met one of the opposition's demands, annulling his Nov 22 decrees that gave him near unrestricted powers. But he insisted on going ahead with the referendum on a constitution hurriedly adopted by his Islamist allies during an all-night session late last month.

The opposition National Salvation Front called on supporters to rally against the referendum. The size of Sunday's turnout, especially at Cairo's central Tahrir square and outside the presidential palace in the capital's Heliopolis district, will determine whether Mr Mursi's concession chipped away some of the popular support for the opposition's cause.

The opposition said Mr Mursi's rescinding of his decrees was an empty gesture since the decrees had already achieved their main aim of ensuring the adoption of the draft constitution. The edicts had barred the courts from dissolving the Constituent Assembly that passed the charter and further neutered the judiciary by making Mr Mursi immune from its oversight.