The Egyptian Army led by General Abdul Fattah al-Sisi has removed Egypt’s Islamist President Morsi from power, in a move which Morsi supports claim amounts to a military coup.
Written by Chris White
The ousting was announced on Egyptian state television, with General Abdul Fattah appearing in public to make his statement, before commencing the coordinated takedown, as scores of military vehicles filled with armed troops fanned out over the capital.
As soon as the Army’s units were in place all of the pro-Morsi television and radio stations fell silent, as each one was taken off air by force.
The state controlled al-Ahram newspaper then reported that military arrest warrants had been issued for 300 leading members of the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood.
Muslim Brotherhood media spokesman Gehad el-Haddad has said that President Morsi and his remaining cabinet are being held by the military under armed guard.
Amid jubilous celebrations from Egyptian crowds who gathered in Cairo’s Tahrir Square to welcome the news of the President’s deposition, the Army then asked the Constitutional Court’s chief justice to be sworn in as the country’s Interim President.
The chief justice has agreed and will be sworn in on Thursday. Meanwhile the country is ruled by Egypt’s military council and the Egyptian constitution is suspended.
As the extra-constitutional intervention was being announced anti-Morsi demonstrators poured onto the streets in several Egyptian cities in celebration, firing fire crackers and car-horning.
One protestor named Omar Sherif told French television: “It’s a new historical moment. We got rid of Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood.”
Morsi supporters in Cairo attempted to hold a counter-demonstration in opposition to the overwhelming popular support for the Army’s takedown of the Islamist regime however, came under a sustained attack by pro-military demonstrators and were even shot at.
Elsewhere in the country there were a number of other clashes, including in Alexandria, where up to 10 people said to have been killed in recent clashes.
Morsi Facebook page (which is hosted in the US), has slammed the military intervention as a “military coup” and asked Egyptians to “abide by the constitution and the law and not to respond to this coup”.
US leader Barack Obama has described the recent turn of events as “deeply concerning” and called on all factions for a swift restoration to civilian rule, ordering a review of US foreign aid to Egypt, which by US federal law must be suspended in the event of a military coup in the recipient country.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has also voiced concerns over the deposition and has appealed for calm.
Prominent supporters of the military intervention in Egypt include the head of the Coptic Church Pope Tawadros II who said, “this roadmap has been drafted by honourable people who seek the interests, first and foremost, of the country” and Arab Nationalist opposition leader Amr Moussa.
The Army’s removal of the president comes after 4 days of unprecedented civil unrest on the country, which prompted the Egypt’s military council to issue an ultimatum demanding that Morsi decisively resolve the crisis by Wednesday, which Morsi subsequently rejected.
Morsi’s term in office has been marred by accusations of party nepotism and corruption and by controversial moves to bring the country’s legal system and customs closer to Islamic law, thus alienating Egypt’s Secularists.
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