AFP– Egypt’s embattled President Mohamed Morsi on Wednesday proposed a consensus government as a way out of the country’s crisis, as an army deadline urging him to meet the people’s demands expired.

“The presidency envisions the formation of a consensus coalition government to oversee the next parliamentary election,” his office said in a statement on Facebook.

The army’s deadline to Morsi to meet the demands of his people or face army intervention ran out at 4:30 pm (1430 GMT).

Fears of widespread unrest have risen as supporters and opponents of the Islamist president took to the streets in their thousands.