WHY THE UNREST IN EGYPT?

Q & A: What's driving Egypt's unrest? UPDATED: Dec 3, 201201:31 GMT In scenes reminiscent of the mass demonstrations that brought about the downfall of former Egyptian PresidentHosni Mubarak in early 2011, thousands of protestors have turned out in Cairo's Tahrir Square over the past week. What is the behind the latest unrest? The protests have been sparked by a November 22 presidential decree issued by President Mohamed Morsy -- the first freely elected leader of this country of 83 million, the most populous Arab nation -- which prevented any court from overturning his decisions until a new, post-Mubarak constitution was ready. The ruling has essentially given him unchecked power. What was Morsy's rationale? Insisting the order is temporary - it will last only until a new constitution was drafted - Morsy claimed the move was intended to safeguard the revolution. Healso gave an assurance his decree would only apply to"sovereign" matters. In particular, Morsy said, the edict was aimed at preventing interference from the courts in the work of Egypt's constituent assembly, currently draftinga new constitution. The judges, many of whom were appointed during the reign of his predecessor Mubarak, are widely viewed as hostile to the Islamists who now dominate the assembly that has been charged with framing a new constitution. The move, which has concentrated power in the hands of the executive, is acontinuation of the power struggles between Morsy's Muslim Brotherhood - the Islamist movement which is Egypt's most powerful political force and won nearly half the seats in parliamentary elections -- and the remnants of the military-dominated establishment of the Mubarak years. In June, just weeks before Morsy's election, Egypt's military leaders declared parliament invalid and dissolved the body, a rulingwhich was upheld by Egypt'shighest court in September. After his election, Morsy defied the military leader by calling parliament into session. Morsy's edict ruled out the possibility of repeat interference. In August, the president moved against the military leadership, sending into retirement Field Marshal Mohammed Hussein Tantawi - who, as Chairman of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, had acted thecountry's de facto ruler in the wake of Mubarak's ouster and prior to Morsy's election. What has been the response?