Egypt army ousts Mursi, posing West dilemma Reuters Anti-Mursi protesters chant as they celebrate near Tahrir square after the announcement of the removal from office of Reuters CAIRO - Egypt's army overthrew elected President Mohamed Mursi, delighting millions who hated Islamist rule but incensing his supporters, who saw a military coup that poses dilemmas for Western leaders who promote democracy. Mursi, elected a year ago in a vote hailed as a new dawn for the Arab world's biggest nation after the uprising of 2011, was held at a military facility in Earlier, in a shaky, handheld video, and in a Facebook post he denounced "a full military coup" that would plunge The head of the armed forces pledged new elections as part of a road map ironed out during a meeting with liberal opposition groups before Mursi's removal was announced. Liberals welcomed a relaunch of the transition to democracy, which they felt had been hijacked by Mursi's Muslim Brotherhood. Military authorities immediately shut down television channels seen as sympathetic to the Muslim Brotherhood and began arresting other senior leaders. Vast crowds partied in The fall of the first elected leader to emerge from the Arab Spring revolutions of 2011 raised questions about the future of political Islam, which had seemed triumphant. Deeply divided, Straddling the Suez Canal and a key piece in the security of The army put combat troops and tanks on streets around a gathering of thousands of Mursi's supporters in Within a couple of hours of the broadcast by military chief General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, suspending the constitution and appointing the constitutional court's chief justice as interim head of state, three TV channels went off air. The Egyptian arm of The head of the political wing of Mursi's Muslim Brotherhood - the speaker of a disbanded parliament - was arrested at his home. State newspaper Al-Ahram said warrants were issued for 300 Brotherhood members accused of inciting unrest. United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged a swift return to civilian rule, restraint and respect for civil rights. Obama U.S. President Barack Obama, whose administration provides $1.3 billion a year to the Egyptian military, expressed deep concern about Mursi's removal and called for a swift return to a democratically elected civilian government. But he stopped short of condemning a military move that could block "During this uncertain period, we expect the military to ensure that the rights of all Egyptian men and women are protected, including the right to peaceful assembly, due process, and free and fair trials in civilian courts," he said. Obama urged the new authorities to avoid arbitrary arrests and said Much may depend on a strict definition of "coup." Sisi, head of Concerns over human rights have clouded The European Union, the biggest civilian aid donor to its near neighbour, also called for a rapid return to the democratic process. Foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said in a statement that should mean "free and fair presidential and parliamentary elections and the approval of a constitution." She did not mention the constitution and elections already held in the past two years, whose results the armed forces have now cast aside. Constitutional court president Adli Mansour was to be sworn in as head of state at 10 a.m. (0800 GMT). Revolution The liberals' chief negotiator with the army, former U.N. diplomat Mohamed ElBaradei, said the programme agreed with the generals would ensure the continuation of the revolution. Sisi said: "Those in the meeting have agreed on a road map for the future that includes initial steps to achieve the building of a strong Egyptian society that is cohesive and does not exclude anyone and ends the state of tension and division." Sisi was flanked by his uniformed high command but also by a senior Muslim cleric, the pope of Reflecting the hopes of the "revolutionary youth" who led the charge against Mubarak, only to see the electoral machine of the Brotherhood dominate the new democracy, the young man who proved Mursi's extraordinary nemesis said the new transitional period must not repeat the mistakes of the recent past. "We want to build The army had already grown increasingly alarmed about Mursi dragging His overthrow may have repercussions in On The past four days have seemed to many like a fast-motion rerun of the 18 days that brought down Mubarak, when the army that had long backed him realised his time was up. Road map Sisi announced a technocratic government will rule until new presidential and parliamentary elections are held - no time frame was set. The constitution will be reviewed by a panel representative of all sections of society. Media freedoms, under threat during Mursi's rule, would be protected. That did not seem to prevent the shutdown of three channels, including one owned by the Brotherhood, and the arrest of a staffer at The massive anti-Mursi protests showed that the Brotherhood had not only alienated liberals and secularists by seeking to entrench Islamist rule, notably in the new constitution. But it also angered millions of Egyptians with economic mismanagement. Tourism and investment have dried up, inflation is rampant and fuel supplies are running short, with power cuts lengthening in the summer heat and motorists spending hours fuelling cars. With The official spokesman of the Muslim Brotherhood said supporters were willing to become martyrs to defend Mursi. But the Brotherhood also has an 85-year history of survival and may take a long view of whether it is better to draw in its horns and watch others try to reform A Brotherhood official, Gamal Heshmat, told Reuters: "There is absolutely no direction towards violence. The Brotherhood are not raised on violence. Their cause is a peaceful one, defending their rights, which is stronger than a military coup." A colleague, Osama Gado, spoke by telephone from the square where thousands of Mursi supporters were gathered: "I am afraid to leave the square because I fear I could get arrested." |
↧
Egypt Situation
↧