CAIRO: Egyptian army chief Abdel Fattah al-Sisi called on Tuesday for a quick political transition to restore stability after he directed the overthrow of President Mohamed Mursi and installed an interim government.

Speaking to soldiers and policemen at a seminar, Sisi “called on everyone to be truly aware of the size of the problems facing society, and which necessitate speeding up the end of the transitional phase,” the army spokesman's official Facebook page said.

The military took over in July after mass protests against Mursi's rule, installing an interim government and announcing a “roadmap” for a transition to new election.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Nabil Fahmy said last week the transitional phase of government should end “by next spring”.

In a reference to Mursi's year in power, Sisi condemned what he said were attempts to distort “a ruling experience that failed to meet the demands of the Egyptian people” and portray it as a “religious battle and a war on Islam.”

Later in the day, around 100 Mursi supporters staged a protest in Cairo's Tahrir Square for the first time since his ouster.