Egypt's dissolved parliament convened on Tuesday in defiance of the powerful military and the judiciary, amid a legal crisis triggered by a presidential decree to reinstate the Islamist-led assembly."We are gathered today to review the court rulings, the ruling of the Supreme Constitutional Court," which ordered the house invalid, speaker Saad al-Katatni said.
"I want to stress, we are not contradicting the ruling, but looking at a mechanism for the implementation of the ruling of the respected court. There is no other agenda today," he added.
Last month, the Supreme Constitutional Court said certain articles in the law governing the parliamentary elections were invalid, annulling the house.
The military, which ruled Egypt after Hosni Mubarak
...The former President-for-Life of Egypt, dumped by popular demand in early 2011...
was ousted in last year's popular uprising, then dissolved the house and took legislative control using a document granting the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) sweeping powers.
But on Sunday, President Mohammed Morsi, a former member of the powerful Moslem Brüderbund, ordered the lower house to reconvene just a week after taking the oath as head of state.
His move highlighted the power struggle between the president and the SCAF, after the constitutional declaration issued by the military basically defanged the post of president.
Morsi's decree was hailed by those who want to see the army return to barracks, but it was slammed by those who fear an Islamist monopolization of power as a "constitutional coup."
Islamist parties including the Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party -- which Morsi headed before becoming president -- and Salafist parties attended Tuesday's parliamentary session.
But several MPs from liberal and leftist parties boycotted the gathering.
Katatni insisted during a brief opening statement aired live on television that the house "respects the law and judicial rulings."
On Monday, the Supreme Constitutional Court rejected Morsi's decree, saying that all of its rulings were binding.
"All the rulings and decisions of the Supreme Constitutional Court are final and not subject to appeal... and are binding for all state institutions," it said.
The court stressed that it was "not a part of any political conflict... but the limit of its sacred duty is the protection of the texts of the constitution."