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Egyptian Military Ousts Morsi, Announces New Election

July 03, 2013

The Egyptian armed forces have suspended the constitution and announced steps to move the country toward a new presidential election.

The announcement ends the presidency of Muhammad Morsi after days of protests by millions of Egyptians against his Islamist-led government.

Egyptian Army chief Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said that until a new president is elected, the chief justice of the Constitutional Court will have the power to hand down presidential decrees and a technocratic government will run the country.

There was no immediate word of when the new election will be held.

In a statement published on his official Facebook page, Morsi said the measures announced amounted to "a full military coup" and were "totally rejected."

Sisi met earlier on July 3 with the main liberal opposition leader, Muhammad ElBaradei; the grand sheikh of Cairo's Al-Azhar institution, a leading authority in the Muslim world; and Pope Tawadros, the head of Egypt's Coptic Christians.

Earlier on July 3, the military moved to tighten its control on key institutions, putting officers in the newsroom of state TV and reportedly surrounding the state television building with troops.

It also deployed armored vehicles near Cairo demonstrations by Morsi supporters.

Morsi had vowed not to step down in the face of millions of protesters over the last three days and called instead for all parties to form a national coalition government.

His Islamist supporters had vowed to resist what they call a "military coup." Essam al-Haddad, Morsi's national security adviser, warned earlier on July 3 that "no military coup can succeed...without considerable bloodshed."

Rival Protesters Gather

Opponents of Morsi filled Cairo's central Tahrir Square ahead of the military's move.

"Anything is expected, we can't really predict what might happen," one protester there told reporters.

"But it could turn into a civil war if [Muslim Brotherhood leaders] insist on staying in power. And if they resort to violence, this violence will be met with violence, so it could definitely be a civil war."

Supporters of Morsi gathered in Nasr City at the eastern edge of the capital.

Earlier on July 3, the Interior Ministry warned it would respond firmly to any violence.

Clashes left at least 23 dead on July 2 in Cairo, bringing the death toll to 39 since the protests started on June 30.

With reporting by Reuters, CNN, BBC, and AFP

Source: http://www.rferl.org/content/egypt-military-ultimatum-ends/25035598.html

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