The military's terse statement came as thousands of protesters gathered at the iconic Tahrir Square here to denounce what they see as a power grab by interim rulers by stripping the next leader of much of his authority..
Protesters rallied to support the Muslim Brotherhood's candidate for president, Mohammed Morsi and to call on officials to release the delayed results of last week's runoff.
"Announcing the results of the presidential election early before the official statement is unjustified and is one of the main reasons behind the division and confusion prevailing on the political scene," the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) said in a statement.
Morsi warned today against any tampering with the election results. Both Morsi and his rival former Prime Minister Ahmad Shafiq have claimed victory in the historic post-Mubarak presidential polls.
The Muslim Brotherhood said Morsi had won based on the official tallies of judges overseeing polling stations.
"The expected result is known to everyone," Morsi told reporters. "We will not allow anyone to tamper with the results," he added.
Morsi also said that his movement neither wanted "confrontation nor violence." He made the remarks after the ruling military warned that it would deal "firmly" with any attempt to harm the public interest.
SCAF also defended its recent decisions to grant the generals sweeping powers, saying these were necessary for running the country.
The council said its constitutional declaration was a necessity in order for the military to run the country's affairs during "this critical period." MORE
