Egypt's new president moves to sideline military

Wednesday, August 15, 2012 11:18 AM 
Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi and head of the military council Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi - Reuters

Here is a look at events as Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi's move to curb the influence of the military is challenged.

Feb. 11, 2011 - President Hosni Mubarak steps down after anti-government demonstrations erupt across Egypt in January. A military council led by Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi takes over. Mubarak is sentenced to life in prison in June for his role in the killing of protesters.

March 19 - Egyptians approve amendments to the constitution in a referendum. The amendments are designed to pave the way for parliamentary and presidential elections.

Nov. 21 - An interim government resigns after protests in Tahrir Square against the slow pace of transition. Four days later, the military council names Kamal al-Ganzouri to head a government of national salvation. On Nov. 28, voting in a phased parliamentary election begins.

Jan. 3-4, 2012 - Election ends. The Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party takes more than two fifths of the seats, followed by an ultra-orthodox Salafi Islamist party with more than one fifth.

June 14 - Supreme court dissolves parliament days before the presidential run-off. Some Islamists and liberals decry a military "coup". Court upholds ex-military man Ahmed Shafik's right to run for president and curbs powers of future president.

June 24 - Mursi is declared winner of the second round of a presidential election. He is sworn in on June 30.

July 8 - Mursi decrees that the dissolved parliament should reconvene until a new one is elected - an attempt to reverse the court decision to dismiss the assembly. The assembly meets briefly but Mursi's move is later overruled by the same court.

Aug. 8 - In response to popular anger at the government and army leadership over an attack days before in which gunmen killed 16 Egyptian border guards at the Sinai frontier with Israel, Mursi appoints a new national intelligence chief and sacks the governor of north Sinai.

Aug. 12 - Mursi dismisses Tantawi and the armed forces chief of staff Sami Enan and quashes a military order curbing the president's powers.

Aug. 14 - Mursi is to face a lawsuit over his decision to scrap army-imposed curbs on the president's powers after a legal challenge is filed in Egypt's administrative court by lawyer Mohamed Salem.

This content is from : Reuters
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