Tens of thousands of democracy protesters took to the streets on Sunday to demand the resignation of President Mohammad Morsi.
On Monday the Egyptian military gave the political forces 48 hours to solve ongoing problems or “they will announce a new roadmap for the future.”
Early on Tuesday President Morsi rebuffed the military’s 48-hour ultimatum.
The Jerusalem Post reported:
President Mohamed Morsi rebuffed an army ultimatum to force a resolution to Egypt’s political crisis, saying on Tuesday that he had not been consulted and would pursue his own plans for national reconciliation.
The Islamist leader described as potentially confusing Monday’s 48-hour deadline set by the head of the armed forces for him to agree on a common platform with liberal rivals who have drawn millions into the streets demanding Morsi’s resignation.
Members of his Muslim Brotherhood have used the word “coup” to describe the military maneuver, which carries the threat of the generals imposing their own road map for the nation.
But in a statement issued at nearly 2 a.m., fully nine hours after General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi delighted Morsi’s opponents by effectively ordering the president to heed the demands of demonstrators, the president’s office used considerably less direct language to indicate he would try to take little notice.
“The president of the republic was not consulted about the statement issued by the armed forces,” it said. “The presidency sees that some of the statements in it carry meanings that could cause confusion in the complex national environment.”
Official video was released showing Morsi meeting the uniformed Sisi. Their body language seemed awkward, although it was unclear when it was shot.
One hundred and fifty-two Egyptians were injured on Monday in nationwide clashes between supporters and opponents of President Mohamed Morsi, the health ministry has said.