Egypt's president orders parliament's upper house, newly empowered, to meet Wednesday

Tarek el-Zomor leader and founder of the Building and Development Party, who was convicted with others of planning the assassination of late president Anwar in 1981, talks during a presser to celebrate the early results of an Islamist-backed constitution in Cairo, Egypt, Monday, Dec. 24, 2012. The Muslim Brotherhood, the main group backing the charter, claimed it passed with a 64 percent "yes" vote. The official results are expected on Monday, Dec. 24. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil) (The Associated Press)

Tarek el-Zomor a founding member of Gama'a Islamiyya , also leader and founder of the Building and Development Party, who was convicted with others of planning the assassination of late President Anwar Sadat in 1981, talks during a presser to celebrate the early results of an Islamist-backed constitution in Cairo, Egypt, Monday, Dec. 24, 2012. The Muslim Brotherhood, the main group backing the charter, claimed it passed with a 64 percent "yes" vote. The official results are expected on Monday, Dec. 24. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil) (The Associated Press)

An Egyptian man reads a newspaper at a coffee shop in Cairo, Egypt, Sunday, Dec. 23, 2012. Egypt's opposition called Sunday for an investigation into allegations of vote fraud in the referendum on a deeply divisive Islamist-backed constitution after the Muslim Brotherhood, the main group backing the charter, claimed it passed with a 64 percent "yes" vote. Official results have not been released yet and are expected on Monday. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil) (The Associated Press)

An official statement says President Mohammed Morsi has ordered parliament's upper chamber to convene on Wednesday.

The statement Monday comes a day after Morsi appointed 90 members to the Islamist-dominated Shura Council. The 90 include at least 30 Islamists and six minority Christians. The council has a total of 270 members, two-thirds of them elected.

The toothless body was elected last winter by less than 10 percent of the 51 million eligible voters. It will assume legislative powers until a lower chamber is elected within the next two months. Morsi has had legislative powers since the lower chamber was dissolved by a court in June.

The council's empowerment is provided for in a new constitution passed in a referendum over the past two weekends, according to unofficial results.