video transcript

Demonstrators cheer in Tahrir Square as military helicopters fly above them trailing national flags. Egypt's armed forces handed Islamist President Mohamed Mursi an ultimatum to share power Monday, giving feuding politicians 48 hours to find a compromise or have the army impose its own road map for the future. Former Egyptian Presidential candidate Amr Mussa sees an opportunity. (SOUNDBITE) (English) FORMER EGYPTIAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE, AMR MOUSSA, SAYING: "Now there is a window of opportunity that's been opened by the army and under its aegis we need to do that. We need to use all our political forces and our logic to try to get Egypt out of this very, very serious situation.'' But Sameh Ashour of the opposition National Salvation Front sees little time for talk. (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) MEMBER OF NATIONAL SALVATION FRONT, SAMEH ASHOUR, SAYING: "As far as the chance for any political reforms, I think the time has passed for there to be dialogue around political reform." An Egyptian alliance of Islamist parties including the Muslim Brotherhood said late Monday that it rejects attempts by some to use the army to "assault legitimacy" in a partisan way that could lead to a coup. The alliance also said it respected all initiatives to resolve the crisis, but they had to respect constitutional principles.