Friday, February 11, 2011

Egypt’s Hosni Mubarak refused to step down or leave the country and instead handed his powers to his vice president Thursday enraging hundreds of thousands of Egyptian protesters with some demanding the army join them in revolt.

Stunned protesters in central Cairo who demand his ouster waved their shoes in contempt and shouted, “Leave, leave, leave.” The rapidly moving events raised the question of whether a rift had opened between Mubarak and the military command.

Hours earlier, the armed forces high command had earlier issued “Communiqué No.1”, declaring it was taking control of the nation in what some called a military coup seeking to end the turmoil under the 82-year-old former general, who has ruled for 30 years.

Several hundred thousand protesters packed into Tahrir Square, ecstatic with expectations Mubarak would announce his resignation in his nighttime address. Instead, they watched in shocked silence as he spoke, slapping their foreheads in rage and disbelief. Some broke into tears.

After he finished, they broke out into chants for him to go.
Around 1,000 marched on the state television building several blocks away. Some in the opposition called on the military to intervene as others called for a march to the presidential palace.
Immediately after Mubarak’s speech, Vice President Omar Suleiman called on the protesters to “go home” and asked Egyptians to “unite and look to the future.”

In his 17-minute speech on state television, Mubarak suggested little has changed, saying he was “adamant to continue to shoulder my responsibility to protect the constitution and safeguard the interests of the people” and vowing that he would remain in the country.

“I saw fit to delegate the authorities of the president to the vice president, as dictated in the Constitution,” said Mubarak, who looked frail but spoke in a determined, almost defiant voice.
“I have felt all the pain you felt,” said Mubarak, who last week had already pledged not to run again in September. “I will not go back on my response to your voice and your call.”

“Your demands are legitimate and just … There is no shame in hearing your voices and opinions, but I refuse any and all dictations from abroad,” he said. “I have announced my commitment to peacefully hand over power after upcoming elections … I will deliver Egypt and its people to safety,” he said. Mubarak also said that he would not give in to “foreign dictates.”

The Egyptian Constitution allows the president to transfer his powers if he is unable to carry out his duties “due to any temporary obstacle,” but it does not mean his resignation.
Mubarak insisted on the continuation of a government-dominated process for reform that Suleiman drew up and that protesters have roundly rejected.

Under that system, a panel of judges and lawyers put together by Suleiman recommends constitutional changes, while a separate panel monitors to ensure that state promises are carried out.
Mubarak said that on the recommendation of the panel, he had requested the amendment of six articles of the Constitution to loosen the now restrictive conditions on who can run for president, to restore judicial supervision of elections, and to impose term limits on the presidency.

He also annulled a constitutional article that gives the president the right to order a military trial for civilians accused of terrorism. He said that step would “clear the way” for eventually scrapping a hated emergency law but with a major caveat – “once security and stability are restored.”

Suleiman said there was a “road map” for transition and said he would oversee a “peaceful transition of power” in Egypt. “Change has begun … The door is still open for more dialogue,” he said. “I am committed to do all it takes to ensure a peaceful transition of power based on constitutional provisions.
Egypt’s Ambassador to the U.S. Sameh Shoukry told CNN that Suleiman is the “de facto head of state” of the country.

After Mubarak’s speech, some protesters drifted out of the square, tears of disappointment and anger in their eyes. But the majority of the crowd remained, planning to camp for the night.
“The speech is a provocation,” said Mohammad Abdel-Rahman, a 26-year-old lawyer who had joined the protesters for the first time Thursday. “This is going to bring people together more, and people will come out in greater numbers.”

Hisham Bastawisi, a pro-reform judge, called on the military to take power.
“The president lost his legitimacy a long time ago,” he said. “The ball now is the army’s court. The armed forces must interfere and oust him before it is too late, today before tomorrow.”
Hours before Mubarak’s speech, the military made moves that had all the markings of a coup – without Mubarak or Suleiman on board.

The military’s Supreme Council, headed by Defense Minister Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, announced on state TV that it was in permanent session, a status that it takes only in times of war. It said it was exploring “what measures and arrangements could be made to safeguard the nation, its achievements and the ambitions of its great people.” That suggested Tantawi and his generals were now in charge of the country.

Footage on state TV showed Tantawi chairing the council with around two dozen top stern-faced army officers seated around a table. Mubarak and Suleiman were not present.
“All your demands will be met today,” Gen. Hassan al-Roueini, military commander for the Cairo area, told thousands of protesters in central Tahrir Square.

The protesters lifted Roueini onto their shoulders and carried him around the square, shouting, “the army, the people one hand.” Some in the crowd held up their hands in V-for-victory signs, shouting “the people want the end of the regime” and “Allahu akbar,” or “God is great,” a victory cry used by secular and religious people alike.
The protests escalated in the past two days with labor strikes and revolts by state employees that added to the chaos.

But the anger on the streets of Cairo and Alexandria, hours ahead of a planned “Day of Martyrs” protest Friday to commemorate the 300 or more killed by security forces since Jan. 25 appeared ominous in an environment where the army has been on the streets for two weeks and said Thursday it was in charge. – Agencies