Morsi ousted by the Egyptian army

Fireworks lit Tahir Square in Cairo as Mohammed Morsi was ousted as Egypt’s president in a military coup last night. The Egyptian army has also announced a temporary transitional period, suspending the constitution and pledging new elections following mass protests in the country.

In a statement launched on Egypt’s national television the army said: “Egypt’s constitution would be dissolved on a temporary basis and then new elections to form a technocratic government would take place.”

Under the army’s transition plans Adli Mahmud Mansour has been sworn in as Egypt’s interim president.

Handpicked by the armed forces, Mr Mansour took his oath of office replacing Morsi and head of the Supreme Constitutional Court, yesterday.

State media agency MENA reported that the Egyptian army had told Morsi at 7pm local time that he was no longer Egypt’s president and later the army general Abdul Fattah al-Sisi declared that “Morsi had failed to meet the demands of the Egyptian people and has been removed from power.”

The military, which has dismissed Egypt’s first elected leader two years after ousting the autocratic Hosni Mubarak, stressed that it was following “the will of the people”.

MENA also reported that the “army’s political roadmap would see a period of transitional rule that could last from nine to 12 months, in which a new constitution would be drafted to set a path to presidential elections.”

To keep pro-Morsi rallies under control, the military has been deployed across the country and barbed wires have been set up around the Republican Guard headquarters where Morsi was located.

At least 14 people have been killed and hundreds wounded in street clashes between Morsi supporters and opponents.

Armed forces have warned people to steer clear of any violent demonstration, saying it swears it will “face up forcibly against anyone who acts outside peaceful means”.

Earlier on Wednesday, security sources said that a travel ban has been placed on Morsi as well as several other top members of the Muslim Brotherhood and that Morsi has been taken to a safe location by the military.

Morsi was elected the first Islamist president on 30^th June 2012 after winning an election following the 2011 revolution in Egypt.

Aastha Gill