Egypt's army chief ousted President Mohamed Mursi and dissolved the country's constitution in a move aimed at resolving the country’s debilitating political crisis

General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi made the announcement on state television on Wednesday, press tv reported.

Sisi also said that new parliamentary elections will be held, and declared head of Supreme Constitutional Court Adli Mansour as the caretaker leader.

The army announced the roadmap hours after its two-day ultimatum to Mursi came to an end.

Sisi said that the army was fulfilling its "historic responsibility" to protect the country, and Mursi had "failed to meet the demands of the Egyptian people."

The army chief’s announcement triggered jubilation and fireworks in the streets of Cairo. Elsewhere in the city, Mursi’s supporters shouted "No to military rule".

In a statement posted on the presidential Facebook, Mursi denounced the army’s move as a "military coup," asking the Egyptians to "abide by the constitution and the law and not to respond to this coup."

Meanwhile, opposition leader Mohamed ElBaradei said the roadmap announced by Sisi "meets the people's demands for early presidential elections".

Egypt's second largest Islamist group, the al-Nour Party, also said it agreed to the army roadmap in order to put an end to the country’s political crisis.

Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood TV channel was reportedly taken off the air and its managers arrested after Mursi’s ouster.

 

News ID 184962