Morsi's aide claims 'military coup' is underway in Egypt

Opposition protesters show a defaced poster of President Morsi in Cairo A military coup is underway in Egypt, according to President Mohammed Morsi's national security adviser. Assistant to the President for Foreign Relations and International Cooperation Dr Essam El-Haddad stated that he expects army and police violence to remove pro-Morsi demonstrators from the streets of Cairo.
"For the sake of Egypt and for historical accuracy, let’s call what is happening by its real name: Military coup," he said.
"No military coup can succeed against popular resistance without considerable bloodshed," he added.
It comes after the embattled president offered the opposition a consensus government as a way out of the crisis sweeping the country, moments after a deadline set by the army to resolve the conflict had expired.
In a statement, the president refused to step down, and invited all parties to form a "national coalition government" to solve the country's problems. He also instructed the military not to "take sides."
The proposed coalition government would include a prime minister elected by political powers, according to a presidential statement.
Even after the deadline had expired, sources claimed that army chief General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi was meeting with the political forces and discussing how to send a statement to Muslim Brotherhood leaders.
In a related development, sources told Arab Today that Republican Guard officers seized control of Egypt's national television and radio buildings in Cairo ahead of a statement presenting their roadmap.
Sources added that the Republican Guards entered the building on Wednesday morning to prevent Brotherhood supporters from storming the offices.
Earlier, 16 people were killed and 599 injured in clashes between opponents and supporters of Morsi across Egypt on Tuesday night, the health ministry confirmed. "Two hundred and 70 people are still being treated, while 285 were release, and 16 were killed in Giza governorate," a statement said.
In a televised early morning address, Morsi said he had been freely elected to lead the troubled nation a little more than a year ago and intended to stick to his task.
The only alternative to respecting the constitutional legitimacy of the office was further bloodshed, the Islamist leader warned.
On Wednesday, opposition groups Popular Movement, National Salvation Front and Tamarod criticised the speech, claiming that Morsi had lost all legitimacy among Egyptians.
In a statement, the Popular Movement said they Morsi had lost his legitimacy, accusing him of threatening the people with violence if they continue their revolution. The opposition group vowed to remain in Egyptian squares across the country and called on the president to step down. The movement also called for a million-man march on Wednesday, promoting total civil disobedience and a general strike.
Egyptian protest movement Tamarod (Rebel) demanded that President Morsi is arrested on charges of calling for civil war.
In a joint statement with NSF, Tamarod also announced mass protests at the headquarters of the Republican Guards on Wednesday afternoon.
Tamarod said the Republican Guards must arrest Morsi for "impersonating" the president of Egypt and threatening the people with violence if they continue their revolution,
"Morsi's repetition of the word 'legitimacy' in his speech (on national television) is due to his lack of real legitimacy," the statement said.
Earlier, spokesman of the NSF Khaled Daoud described Morsi's speech as an "announcement of civil war."
"The President continues to reject the Egyptian people's demand for his resignation," he added.
 The April 6 Youth Movement issued a statement in which it told Morsi: "Your legitimacy has expired and we invite the Egyptian people to stay in the square until your regime is overthrown, and you are tried for your crimes."
In his address on Tuesday evening, Morsi vowed to protect democratic 'legitimacy' with his life.
"If the price against safeguarding legitimacy is my blood, then I am willing to shed my blood. Egyptians declared and defined their path - the path of freedom, democracy, justice and social justice. I have no option to but to carry out the responsibilities given to me.
"There is no alternative to the legitimacy, legitimacy that came through the ballot box.
"I am adamant as I declared Egypt has its own free will. It will move forward, achieve growth, productivity of food, medicine and arts.
"We created a great constitution on September 25. Countries spend years trying to draft a constitution," he added.
He also accused remnants of the former regime of taking advantage of  the anger of the youth.
"Remnants of the previous regime cannot thrive in democracy. They are taking advantage of lawful anger of youth," he asserted.
Earlier, on Twitter, he called on the army to withdraw its threat to intervene unless he resolves his differences with his opponents
"President Morsi insists on (his) constitutional legitimacy and rejects any attempt to overstep it," a message said.
"(He) calls on the armed forces to withdraw their warning and rejects any dictates, domestic or foreign."
Military sources denied that they would issue a  joined presidential-military statement. The army has given political parties in Egypt 48 hours to find a solution to the current crisis, saying it would draft a road map for the future if there was no progress. On Tuesday, military sources told news agency Reuters that the army had drafted a 'roadmap' to end nationwide anti-government protests. According to reports, the roadmap would suspend the constitution and dissolve the Islamist-led parliament. The army would also propose a plan for the interim council to rule until the constitution is changed, followed by a presidential election. The army's 48-hour deadline ends on Wednesday
Meanwhile, NSF said the president's defiance of army sets the country on a course of confrontation and violence. Co-leader of the coalition Hamdeen Sabahi argued that the president's stubborn attitude would only "lead to bloodshed," as he confirmed that his colleague Mohamed ElBaradei would represent the opposition in talks with the army.
Elsewhere, 37 people were injured in clashes between supporters and opponents of Morsi in Alexandria Qalyubia.
Twenty-two people were injured in Egypt's second largest city, Alexandria, when Morsi's supporters clashes with residents of the Agami district.
"The people want to apply the law of God!" chanted a few hundred supporters of the Islamist president.
The supporters shot gunfire in order to disperse the opponents who were trying to obstruct the rally. The security forces fired teargas to disperse both sides.
Seventeen people were injured in those clashes according to a health ministry official. Five others were injured in clashes that occurred in Alexandria's Sidi-Bishr district.
In Qalyubia, 15 people were injured when the two sides clashed in Atreeb area and fired birdshots at each other; the state news agency reported. Security forces intervened and used tear gas to disperse the parties.