Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi is expected to either resign or be forced out of his role by the military today, claim the country’s media, as images emerge showing protesters trying to bring down an army helicopter.
Violence between anti-Morsi protesters and opposition groups escalated last night with trouble in the capital Cairo seeing at least 23 people killed and 200 injured.
The clashes came hours after the country’s military leaders laid down a deadline for President Morsi to find a resolution to Egypt’s political crisis or else the army would impose its own political plan.
The army plans to depose Morsi should no solution be reached, suspend the constitution, disband parliament and install a new leadership.
Egypt’s Al-Ahram newspaper said the road map would establish a three-member presidential council to be chaired by the head of the Supreme Constitutional Court.
‘Al-Ahram learnt that with the end of the 48-hour period set by the armed forces it is expected in the hours that follow it, one of two things: either Morsi announces his resignation himself, or the declaration of his removal through the road map for the future set out by the armed forces,’ it said.
But an armed forces spokesman denied the claims and said that the countries leaders would instead be called to crisis talks.
The latest developments came after pictures emerged of protesters shining laser pointers at a military helicopter on Sunday night in an apparent attempt to bring it down.
Most of those killed in overnight violence reportedly died in a single incident of fighting outside Cairo University.
Off the back of the violence and civil unrest oil prices have surged to more than $100 (£66) a barrel – a two per cent rise.
The price of oil is currently the highest its been since September 2012.
According to the BBC’s Jeremy Bowen, the whole country is in turmoil.
He said that opponents of Morsi have indicated that they are prepared to die for the cause.
He told Radio 4 this morning: ‘I saw young men out on the street brandishing burial shrouds as a sign of their willingness for martyrdom’.
President Mohammed Morsi, who yesterday rebuffed an army ultimatum to force a resolution to Egypt’s political crisis, made an emotional speech which was aired live to the nation.
Morsi, who a year ago was inaugurated as Egypt’s first freely elected president, pledged to protect his ‘constitutional legitimacy’ with his life.
He accused loyalists of his ousted autocratic predecessor Hosni Mubarak of exploiting the wave of protests to topple his regime and thwart democracy.
dailymotion
No comments:
Post a Comment