The Muslim Brotherhood has rejected Egypt's new draft constitution, BBC News reported.

The group said "abusive coupists" were trying to "distort Egypt's legitimate constitution", adopted under ousted President Mohammed Morsi last year.

The draft, approved by a constituent assembly late on Sunday, December 1 preserves some of the military's wide-ranging powers and would allow a presidential election to be held before parliamentary polls.

It must be approved in a referendum this month or in January.

The vote is the first stage in the "democratic transition" promised by the interim government after Morsi was deposed by the military in July.