By Shaimaa Fayed, Dina Zayed

Reuters

CAIRO: Egypt’s army called on protesters to avoid harming the nation on a fifth day of demonstrations that have increasingly targeted generals running the country.
In a televised statement, the army warned against protests that “deviated from peaceful means.” It repeated its vow to hand power to civilians and pledged support for the prime minister.
The protest that began Friday is one of the longest running demonstrations since Hosni Mubarak was toppled Feb. 11. The army has promised a parliamentary election in September with a presidential vote to follow.

Protesters are growing increasingly angry in their complaints about foot-dragging in trying Mubarak and his officials and they want swifter reforms. Mubarak’s trial for his role in killing protesters in the uprising is set for Aug. 3.
“Down, down with military rule,” chanted demonstrators among the thousands in Cairo’s Tahrir Square Tuesday. Others marched to the nearby Cabinet building shouting: “The people want the removal of the Field Marshal.”
Field Marshal Mohammed Hussein Tantawi, who leads the ruling army council, was Mubarak’s defense minister for two decades.

There have been protests in the port cities of Alexandria and Suez, where some gathered outside a Suez Canal administration building. An official said the canal was operating normally.
The protests and threat of escalation has hit the Egyptian stock market, where the benchmark index closed down almost 3 percent at an eight-week low.

Protesters have dismissed as inadequate two televised addresses by the prime minister promising a Cabinet resuffle. There have also been several other concessions, such as a ruling to let a television camera into corruption and other trials.
“The armed forces feels its historic responsibility and role toward the nation and calls on honorable citizens to stand against any protests that prevent the return of normal life,” General Mohsen Fangary said, reading out the statement.

Protesters in Tahrir have blocked the traffic and prevented employees from entering a big government administrative building on the edge of the square. They dismissed the army statement.
“The military council is following the same policies as the ousted regime,” said Mohammad Abdel Waged, 43, who has joined those camping in Tahrir in tents and under big white canopies.
Reflecting their determination both to placate crowds and return order, generals also held a news conference Tuesday. “All opinions and demands of people are taken into consideration; this conference is to clarify our vision,” General Mahmoud Hegazy of military council said.

He added that the army would “work to end” the protest by all legal means but that: “There is no scenario or option of using violence at any time against the protest.”
In Prime Minister Essam Sharaf’s latest address Monday night he promised a Cabinet reshuffle within a week.
“The prime minister did not say which ministers will leave or who will replace them,” Mohammad Adel, a leader of Egypt’s April Six Youth group, said in Tahrir.

Later, the resignation of Deputy Prime Minister Yehia al-Gamal was accepted. Demonstrators had said he was ineffectual and should go.
Adel added: “We still ask for an end to the trying of civilians in military courts and the independence of the judiciary system, and those demands have not yet been met.”

In the army news conference, General Mamdouh Shahin defended the use of military courts. “Military courts did not judge anyone for his opinion but … it only tried those who carried out major crimes, according to law,” he said.
Sharaf had earlier asked Interior Minister Mansour al-Essawy to speed up measures to restore security in Egypt, reshuffle provincial governors and asked judges to make the trials of Mubarak’s former officials public.
In a concession toward more transparency in trials, a judge said a camera would be allowed in to court to let those outside see what was happening. It was not clear if sessions would be broadcast on public channels.

The government said Monday it would raise the minimum wage, another demand of protesters.
In the most recent corruption trial, former Prime Minister Ahmad Nazif, who investors had praised for economic liberalization measures that fired up Egypt’s economy, was given a one-year suspended jail sentence.
The former interior minister, Habib al-Adli and ex-finance minister Youssef Boutrous Ghali, got five and 10 years in jail. Both have received jail terms in earlier cases.