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| Africa North |
| Egypt president orders military chief to retire |
| 2012-08-13 |
| Egypt's new Islamist president Muhammad Mursi dismissed Cairo's two top generals on Sunday and cancelled a military order that curbed his powers, in a dramatic move that could free him of some of the restrictions of military rule. A member of the military council told Reuters that Mursi, a moderate Islamist popularly elected in June but with constitutional powers sharply circumscribed in advance by the generals, had consulted Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, 76, and General Sami Enan, 64, the military chief of staff, before ordering both men to retire. However, coupled with what Mursi's spokesman described as the cancellation of the constitutional declaration issued just before Mursi's election, by which Tantawi and his colleagues curbed presidential powers, the surprise move seemed to indicate a substantial reordering of Egypt's political forces as it waits for a new constitution after six decades of unbroken army rule. "Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi has been transferred into retirement from today," presidential spokesman said in a statement, appointing in his place as armed forces chief and defense minister General Abdellatif Sisi. Enan was replaced by General Sidki Sobhi. Enan, long seen as particularly close to the US military which has been the main sponsor of Egypt's armed forces, and Tantawi, who was Mubarak's defense minister for 20 years before helping ease him out in the face of street protests 18 months ago, were both appointed as advisers to Mursi. The changes were effective immediately, presidential spokesman Yasser Ali said. |
| Posted by:tu3031 |