Because of the overlapping authority of the generals, their interim declarations and the old Constitution, "it is nonsense to think that this is a fully functioning legal system," Mr. Hanna added.
Two weeks earlier, the then ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (Scaf) had issued an interim constitutional declaration amending the 30 March 2011 declaration promulgated following the overthrow of Hosni Mubarak.
The leaders agreed that they would work at Copenhagen toward an interim political declaration on climate change that stopped short of a binding international treaty.
Wishing to ensure that the constituent assembly could finish drafting the new constitution, the president issued an interim constitutional declaration granting himself far-reaching powers.
The response to Mr Morsi's August decrees was by and large favourable, but there was widespread anger on 22 November when, with the Islamist-dominated constituent assembly tasked with writing a new constitution was on the brink of collapse, the president issued an interim constitutional declaration granting himself far-reaching powers.
Now, whoever wins, the military council will hold powers that can all but paralyze the president if it chooses under the interim constitutional declaration issued Sunday just after polls closed.
During the interim period, the declaration puts almost unchecked power in the hands of the president himself, who can issue legislation, constitutional declarations and ill-defined states of emergency.
The timetable for new elections, announced in a constitutional declaration by interim President Adly Mansour on Monday evening, laid out plans to set up a panel to amend the suspended constitution within 15 days.
