(The Telegraph, 13/08/12) -  However, the Egyptian press on Monday described Morsi’s move as “revolutionary”, with some saying it was aimed at ending the power of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF).

“I never intended, through my decisions, to marginalise or be unjust toward anyone, but rather to act so that we advance toward a better future, with a new generation, long-awaited new blood,” Morsi said in a speech at Cairo’s al-Azhar mosque late on Sunday.

“I only wish them the best. I want them to devote themselves to a mission, the protection of the nation,” he said.

“I did not intend to embarrass institutions,” he added, saying he had “the interest of the country in mind.”

In a move that drew thousands of Islamist supporters to Cairo’s Tahrir Square in celebration, Morsi on Sunday effectively dismissed Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, who ruled Egypt for more than a year after the revolution that toppled former president Hosni Mubarak.