CAIRO (AP) -  Leading democracy advocate Mohammed ElBaradei says dialogue with Egypt's Islamist president is not possible until he rescinds his decrees giving himself near absolute powers.

Speaking to a handful of journalists, including The Associated Press, ElBaradei says he is hoping for a "smooth transition without plunging the country into a cycle of violence."

But he says that may not be possible unless President Mohammed Morsi rescinds the decrees.

ElBaradei, a Nobel Peace laureate for his past work as the head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog, has formed a "National Salvation Front" with other liberal and secular leaders, trying to unify the opposition against Morsi.

In the decrees issued this week, Morsi put himself above judicial scrunity.

Comment on this article

Title

Comments

Your Name (optional - shown on website)

Validation Code (Case Sensitive)

Enter validation code seen above