Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi ousted

Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi has been ousted by the military, which has announced early elections and said the current president would be replaced, reports the Associated Press.

The Associated Press reports that Morsi has been replaced by the chief justice of the Supreme Constitutional Court, who will lead for an undetermined interim period.

Morsi, leader of the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood, was democratically elected a year ago after former President Hosni Mubarak was pushed out during similar protests in Cario’s Tahrir Square. Mubarak was supported by the military.

Morsi’s ouster comes after mounting protests in a country that has seen economic strife since the president was elected a year ago. There were also concerns from more secular Egyptians that the president was moving the country towards an Islamic state.

On Monday, the military gave Morsi an ultimatum, saying that he would have to come to a deal with protesters or step down. He responded with an angry address on state television, saying he would protect his “constitutional legitimacy” with his life. “There is no substitute for legitimacy,” he said in the address.

He also issued a tweet, which translated to: “President Mohamed Morsi stands by his constitutional legitimacy and calls on the army to withdraw the ultimatum and refuses any interference, whether internal or external.”