Youth called to demonstrate in Egypt

Egyptian revolutionaries called for mass demonstrations Tuesday in Cairo to protest what they said was a military coup. The ruling Supreme Council of Armed Forces issued a constitutional decree giving military authorities sweeping authority in the country. The measure downgrades the role of the next president but appoints 100 delegates to draft a Constitution that would be subject to a referendum within three months. Once a new charter is in place, a parliamentary election will be held to replace the Islamist-dominated lower house that the country's top court dissolved Thursday. The so-called April 6 Youth Movement called for mass demonstrations in Tahrir Square in Cairo to express frustration with the "military coup," reports Egyptian news service al-Ahram. Egyptians last weekend voted in a runoff election for president. The Muslim Brotherhood struck an upbeat tone for Mohammed Morsi, its candidate from the Freedom and Justice Party. He ran against former air force leader and one-time Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq. SCAF said it would inaugurate the next president by the end of the month. Election officials said they expected official results by Thursday. The U.S. Defense Department, in a letter to Egyptian military leaders last week, called for a peaceful transfer of power. New legislative elections to replace the disbanded lower-house of Parliament, meanwhile, should be held "as soon as possible."