Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has stepped down and transferred his authority to the Egyptian Higher Council of the Armed Forces, a senior Egyptian official confirmed Thursday.
This body is comprised of the minister of defense, Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi along with the military's chief of staff, the chief of operations, and commanders of the Army, Navy, Air Force and Air Defenses.
According to Fox News, the source said that the transfer of power is "outside of the constitutional framework" because under the Egyptian constitution, after the president's resignation the speaker of the parliament becomes president and elections are held within 60 days. In this case, the military council will "not be governing under the constitution or any legislation," the source noted.
