Morsi calls for unity as he signs constitution into law

Egypt's President Mohamed Morsi has urged all political parties to take part in a national dialogue to heal rifts in the country, hailing a controversial Islamist-backed constitution as a key step towards greater stability and prosperity.

Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi signed into law a new constitution shaped by his Islamist allies, a bitterly contested document which he said would help end political turmoil and allow him to focus on fixing the economy.

Anxiety about a deepening political and economic crisis has gripped Egypt in past weeks, with many people rushing to buy dollars and withdraw their savings from banks.

The Egyptian pound tumbled on Wednesday to its weakest level against the U.S. currency in almost eight years. The new constitution, which the liberal opposition says betrays Egypt's 2011 revolution by dangerously mixing religion and politics, has polarised the Arab world's most populous nation and prompted occasionally violent protest on the streets.

In his first address to the nation of 84 million since the adoption of the new constitution, Mursi said it was time for all political forces to put aside their differences and start working together to bring stability.

"I will make all efforts, together with you, to push forward the economy which faces huge challenges and has great opportunities to grow," Mursi said in a televised speech.

FRANCE 24's correspondent in Egypt, Alex Turnbull, said the address, which lasted about 20 minutes, was “clearly a reconciliatory speech… It’s the first time the president actually admits to making some mistakes; a clear reference to his controversial November decree that awarded him sweeping new powers and total immunity.”

The presidency announced on Wednesday that he had formally approved the constitution the previous evening, shortly after results showed that Egyptians had backed it in a referendum.

The text won about 64 percent of the vote, paving the way for a new parliamentary election in about two months.

The charter states that the principles of sharia, Islamic law, are the main source of legislation and that Islamic authorities will be consulted on sharia - a source of concern to the Christian minority and others.

The referendum result marked yet another electoral victory for the Islamists since veteran autocrat Hosni Mubarak was toppled in 2011, following parliamentary elections last year and the presidential vote that brought Mursi to power this year.

Mursi's government, which has accused opponents of damaging the economy by prolonging political upheaval, now faces the tough task of building a broad consensus as it prepares to impose austerity measures.

In his speech, Mursi said he would introduce incentives to make Egypt a more attractive place for investors and considered making changes in the cabinet as part of his plan.

"The coming days will witness, God willing, the launch of new projects ... and a package of incentives for investors to support the Egyptian market and the economy," he said.

Read More at FRANCE24 (27/12/2012): http://www.france24.com/en/20121226-egypt-constitution-becomes-law-mohamed-morsi