Former IAEA Director Mohamed El Baradei. Photo: wiki commons.

A leading Egyptian opposition party has called on the country’s army to depose President Mohamed Morsi amid deadly protests throughout the country, Al Arabiya reported Wednesday.

Saying Morsi has “lost his mind” and provoked civil war, the Dustour (Constitution) Party led by former U.N. nuclear watchdog Mohamed ElBaradei issued the following statement according to Reuters:

“We ask the army to protect the souls of Egyptians after Mursi lost his mind and incited bloodshed of Egyptians.”

The statement was released only hours before the army’s ultimatum deadline to intervene if political forces fail to resolve the country’s current crisis.

Sources told Reuters that ElBaradei would be meeting with army chief General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Wednesday.

Monday Gen. Fattah al-Sisi issued the ultimatum to Morsi, demanding that he reach a political compromise or risk having the army take action. Morsi rejected the call, saying he is the democratically elected leader of Egypt and that “The price of preserving legitimacy is my life.”