Egypt: Adly Mansour sworn in as interim president after Mohamed Morsi’s ouster

July 30, 2016

By Freya Petersen

Judge Adly Mansour was sworn in as interim president of Egypt on Thursday, as deposed leader Mohamed Morsi remained under house arrest at an undisclosed location.

Mansour, head of Egypt's High Constitutional Court, swore the oath of office in front of Egypt's Supreme Constitutional Court hours after Egyptian security forces moved to arrest and detain hundreds of Muslim Brotherhood leaders.

CBC reported that the new president saluted protesters, youth, and the military, and declared the era of dictators in Egypt over.

His short speech, parts of which were broadcast on Egyptian TV, was met with honking and fireworks in Tahrir Square — the epicenter of both the country's 2011 revolution and this week's protests.

He reportedly told journalists after the ceremony that the Brotherhood, which has dominated Egyptian elections over the past two years, were part of the people and were welcome to help "build the nation":

"The Muslim Brotherhood group is part of this people and are invited to participate in building the nation as nobody will be excluded, and if they responded to the invitation, they will be welcomed."

Mansour will remain president until a new election is held and while the country grapples with uncertainty over its future.

As unprecedented numbers of protesters took to Egypt's streets on Wednesday — both in opposition to and support of the nation's first democratically elected leader — the Egyptian military suspended the nation's constitution and called for new elections.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Morsi was removed from office after refusing to step down from his post when ordered to do so by Gen. Abdel Fattah Al Sisi on Wednesday night.