Egypt’s President Morsi Ousted by Army

Egypt’s army has removed President Mohammed Morsi from power, suspended the constitution and promised a roadmap for new presidential polls, in yet another military take-over just a year after handing over power to civilian rule.

 Morsi’s Islamist-led government was forced to exit over failure to resolve country’s worsening political crisis, attracting nationwide protests earlier in the week. President Morsi's opponents accuse him of putting interests of ruling Muslim Brotherhood party, ahead of the country's as a whole.

The army had issued a 48-hour ultimatum on Monday requiring the government and its opponent to resolve the crisis or else it intervenes, a call that Morsi dejected saying “any declaration would deepen division or threaten social peace”.

Cairo’s symbolic Tahrir Square famed for the 2011 revolution that ousted former leader Hosni Mubarak, became a thrill as a sea of protesters camping at the square hailed the army ruling.

The army chief General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi made the announcement televised on state TV on Thursday that Morsi’s rule was over since he had “failed to meet the demands of the Egyptian people”.

Al-Sisi was flanked by liberal opposition leader Mohamed El Baradei, head of the Coptic Church Pope Tawadros II and leader of Sunni Islam’s highest seat of learning, who all made short televised speeches about the country’s future roadmap shortly which had been agreed with the army.

Mr ElBaradei said the roadmap aimed for national reconciliation and represented a fresh start to the January 2011 revolution.

"This roadmap has been drafted by honourable people who seek the interests, first and foremost, of the country," added Pope Tawadros.

Chief Justice of the Egyptian Constitutional Court, Adli Mansour has been tasked to running the country’s affairs and is expected to be sworn in on Thursday as interim leader during the transitional period until the fresh elections are held.

The army said it was “preventively” holding the deposed leader in the defence ministry, while twelve of his presidential aides have been put under house arrest and warrants have been issued for the arrest of 300 Brotherhood officials, according to a report carried in the state-run al-Ahram newspaper.

Morsi’s supporters have denounced the decision as a military coup saying they have come under attack by armed assailants alleged to belong to the opposition.

The opposition movement, Tamarod translated as Rebel in Arabic, is the force behind Morsi’s eject from power that rallied protests across Egypt in response to worsening social and economic conditions.

US President Barack Obama who recently concluded his three-state tour of Africa said he was deeply concerned by the events in Egypt, where he called for a swift return to civilian rule.

Obama ordered a review of US foreign aid to Egypt saying that he hoped to see a quick restoration of a democratically elected government in the northern Africa state.

Also voicing his concern was UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon who appealed for calm and restraint in Egypt.

At least 10 people are said to be killed and some 400 others injured in the unrest, where clashes were reported in several Egyptian cities.

Morsi became Egypt's first Islamist president, after his election on 30 June 2012 that was considered free and fair following the 2011 revolution that toppled Hosni Mubarak.