Majority of Egypt judges boycott referendum

CAIRO -- Most judges rejected any role yesterdayin overseeing Egypt's constitutional referendum, a move likely to cast further doubt on the legitimacy of the disputed charter.

The nation's worst crisis since Hosni Mubarak's ouster nearly two years ago also forced the government to put off a crucial deal with the International Monetary Fund for a $4.8 billion loan.

President Mohammed Morsi, his Muslim Brotherhood and their ultra-conservative Islamist allies are up against an opposition camp of liberals, leftists and Christians who contend the draft charter restricts freedoms and gives Islamists vast influence over the country.

An unexpected twist came when the defense minister, a Morsi appointee, invited the opposition, along with judges, media leaders and Muslim and Christian clerics, to an informal gathering today, saying he was doing so in his personal -- not an official -- capacity.

It was the second time this week that the military is addressing the crisis, signaling its return to the political fray after handing over power in June to Morsi, Egypt's civilian president.

In Cairo's Nasr City district, a Muslim Brotherhood stronghold, tens of thousands voiced their support for the constitution in a mass rally. "I want the chant of 'Morsi' to shake the Earth!" a man shouted into a microphone. "Alleyway to alleyway, house to house, the constitution means stability."

The opposition staged its rally in the nearby Heliopolis neighborhood, where tens of thousands gathered outside the presidential palace, pushing their demands that Morsi scrap the referendum. Republican Guards deployed there did not intervene. Some posed for the protesters' cameras. -- AP