US concerned over Egypt's constitutional declaration

WASHINGTON - The US State Department on Friday expressed concerns over Egypt's new constitutional declaration, issued a day earlier by Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi.

"The decisions and declarations announced on Nov 22 raise concerns for many Egyptians and for the international community," State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said in a statement.

"The current constitutional vacuum in Egypt can only be resolved by the adoption of a constitution that includes checks and balances, and respects fundamental freedoms, individual rights, and the rule of law consistent with Egypt's international commitments," she said.

Nuland encouraged all parties in the Arab state to work together, and called on all Egyptians to resolve their differences "peacefully and through democratic dialogue."

The new Egyptian constitutional declaration says that all laws, decrees and constitutional declarations issued by the president are final and unchallengeable by any body.

Thousands of Egyptians gathered at Cairo's Tahrir Square on Friday to protest the new constitutional declaration, in a so-called rally of "anger and warning."