Egypt's Morsi hails Islamist constitution

CAIRO -- Egypt's Islamist president proclaimed the country's newly adopted constitution as the dawning of a "new republic" Wednesday, calling on the opposition to join a dialogue with him after a month of violent turmoil and focus on repairing a damaged economy.

Mohammed Morsi sought to present the Islamist-drafted charter as the turning of a historic page for Egypt. But his speech did little to ease the suspicions of those who fear he and his Muslim Brotherhood are entrenching their power. He offered no concrete gestures to an opposition that has so far rejected his dialogue and vowed to fight the constitution.

Instead, he presented the constitution, approved by nearly 64 percent of voters in a referendum that ended last weekend, as creating a democracy with balanced powers between branches of government and political freedoms.

"We don't want to return to an era of one opinion and fake, manufactured majorities," Morsi said. "Regardless of the results, for the sake of building the nation, efforts must unite. There is no alternative to a dialogue that is now a necessity."

The opposition says the constitution allows a dictatorship of the majority. It says the charter's provisions for greater implementation of Islamic law, or Shariah, would allow Islamists who hold the presidency and dominate the temporary legislature to restrict civil rights and limit the freedoms of minorities and women.

Opponents also say the low turnout in the referendum, just under 33 percent, undermines the document's legitimacy.

The main opposition National Salvation Front said it would study Morsi's speech to see if his call for dialogue is serious.

Morsi acknowledged the "respectable" proportion that voted against the constitution, but gave no nod to the concerns opponents have over the charter.