Senior Egyptian jurist Adly Mahmoud Mansour has suddenly found himself in the spotlight as the civilian face of the army-backed interim government following dramatic removal of the Arab country's first democratically elected president Mohammed Morsi.

The name of Mansour - head of Egypt's High Constitutional Court - was announced by army chief Gen Abdel Fattah Sisi, who says the military commanders had no desire to rule, clearly to allay fears abroad that this was a coup d'etat. 67-year-old Mansour will hold executive authority as transitional president until new presidential elections are held.