World undecided on military’s move

WASHINGTON / BRUSSELS

AFP photo

Egypt’s top judge Adly Mansour was sworn in yesterday as temporary president following the ouster of Mohamed Morsi by the army while world powers called for a return to democracy in the country.

U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon and NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen urged a quick return to civilian rule in Egypt.

Europe was divided on how to react. Britain said that it was ready to work with the country’s interim rulers despite disapproving of any military role in the democratic process. But Germany took a far stronger line with Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle describing Morsi’s ouster as a “major setback for democracy in Egypt.”

Gulf Arab states with sharply contrasting views on Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood acknowledged the country’s interim military-led regime. The United Arab Emirates noted its “satisfaction” at the turn of events in Egypt. Qatar’s new emir, Al Thani, sent a message of congratulations to Mansour. In neighboring Saudi Arabia, King Abdullah also sent a congratulations message. In Kuwait, which has a strong branch of the Muslim Brotherhood, some supporters denounced Morsi’s toppling as a dangerous precedent. The African Union is set to meet today to discuss the crisis, with delegates seen likely to suspend Cairo in line with strict rules against unconstitutional changes of government, officials said. Meanwhile, Syria’s embattled president praised Egypt’s protests against their leader and said his overthrow by the military meant the end of “political Islam.” President Bashar al-Assad said Egyptians had discovered the “lies” of the Muslim Brotherhood. “What is happening in Egypt is the fall of so-called political Islam,” al-Assad said. “This is the fate of anyone in the world who tries to use religion for political or factional interests.”