CAIRO (AP) — Three advisers to Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi have announced their resignations to protest his handling of a crisis over the country's new constitution.

With Wednesday's resignations, five of the president's panel of 17 advisers have quit since the crisis began on Nov. 22, when Morsi issued decrees giving him sweeping powers and putting him above any oversight.

He later called a Dec. 15 referendum on a disputed draft constitution adopted by his Islamist allies.

The only Christian assistant to the president — one of four presidential assistants — has also quit.

Two of the aides announced they were quitting on their Twitter accounts and the third on live television.