Egypt army deadline expires; Morsi aide slams ‘coup’

CAIRO, Egypt (UPDATED) – An army deadline to Egypt President Mohamed Morsi to meet the demands of his people or face army intervention expired on Wednesday, July 3, at 4:30 pm (1430 GMT).

This prompted a top aide to Morsi, Essam al-Haddad, to slam what he called a “military coup.”

“For the sake of Egypt and for historical accuracy, let’s call what is happening by its real name: Military coup,” Haddad, Morsi’s national security adviser, said in a statement on Facebook.

As tensions mounted and crowds poured into the streets to demand Morsi’s resignation, Haddad said: “As I write these lines I am fully aware that these may be the last lines I get to post on this page.”

Immediately after the deadline expired, Morsi meanwhile proposed a consensus government as a way out of the country’s crisis.

He earlier rejected the army’s ultimatum and insisted he would defend his constitutional legitimacy to the end, raising fears of unrest as supporters and opponents of the Islamist president took to the streets in their thousands.

Morsi’s opponents accuse him of having betrayed the revolution by concentrating power in Islamist hands and of sending the economy into freefall.

His supporters say he inherited many problems, and that he should be allowed to complete his term, which runs until 2016. – with reports from Agence France-Presse/Rappler.com