Former U.S. President George W. Bush Tuesday described the ongoing massive protests in Egypt as an "evolution" in its march toward a mature democracy.

"I think what you saying is an evolution. Democracies take a while to take root," said George W. Bush in an interview with ABC News.

"I mean, look at our own country. Took a hundred years to get rid of slavery. Democracy requires a patient hand. Democracy requires the building of civil society," said Bush who was in Tanzania along with the U.S. President Barack Obama.

Tens of thousands of Egyptians have taken to the streets across the country demanding President Mohammed Morsi's resignation. Protesters say that he has been unable to solve the country's economic problems in the past one year.

After president Morsi rejected the deadline set by Egypt's military, in a Facebook statement titled "The Final Hours," the head of the military, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, said Wednesday that it would be more honorable for the army to die "than for the Egyptian people to feel threatened or terrorized."

Egypt's state-run Al-Ahram newspaper said it expected President Mohamed Morsi would either step down or be removed from office after today's deadline passes, Reuters reported.

Former President George W. Bush said the protests and tumult in the country were only a symptom of the country's progress,  he added that  "democracy will ultimately take hold."

"They had been snuffed out of the political process, and all of a sudden they've been now given a chance," said W. Bush. " And I find it instructive that the current leaders campaigned on a platform, and now the Egyptian people are trying to hold them to account."