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Egyptian President Mubarak Won't Seek Re-election |
After an historic day in Egypt with demonstrations involving hundreds of thousands of citizens from all walks of life, all demanding President Hosni Mubarak's ouster, the leader announced Tuesday he won't seek re-election.
Egypt's next election is scheduled for this September. Protesters wanted him to step down by the end of the week. Earlier in the day United States officials told him they viewed his presidency as over.
In a speech broadcast on Egyptian state television late Tuesday, the embattled leader said he’ll use the rest of his term to work out a “peaceful transfer of power”.
"In all sincerity, regardless of the current circumstances, I never intended to be a candidate for another term," he said.
Hundreds of thousands of Egyptians gathered in Cairo’s Tahrir Sqaure and in other cities in peaceful demonstrations, despite the fact the government closed roads leading to several urban centres, halted public transportation in the capital and train service nationwide and has limited Internet access for several days.
"In all sincerity, regardless of the current circumstances, I never intended to be a candidate for another term," he said.
Hundreds of thousands of Egyptians gathered in Cairo’s Tahrir Sqaure and in other cities in peaceful demonstrations, despite the fact the government closed roads leading to several urban centres, halted public transportation in the capital and train service nationwide and has limited Internet access for several days.
The band of opposition groups calling for the 82-year-old president’s ouster had urged Egyptians to turn out in force and aimed to have one million citizens in the streets demanding government reform.
The military promised Monday it would not fire on protesters. Helicopters hovered overhead Tahrir Square Tuesday and soldiers manned checkpoints leading to the protest hub and did nothing to stop people from entering the area.
The Egyptian movement was bolstered by the revolution in Tunisia last month. Citizens fed up with government corruption, widespread poverty and unemployment took to the streets and forced President Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali to leave the country on Jan. 14. He seized power in a bloodless coup in 1987.
Egyptian protesters are demanding Mubarak to step down for similar reasons. Opposition groups claim the corrupt government has done little to deal with widespread poverty -- nearly half of the nation’s 80 million people live on about $2 a day -- and widespread unemployment -- approximately two thirds of the under-30 population are out of work.
Protesters have also taken to the streets in Jordan and on Tuesday King Abdullah announced he's forming a new government and has called on his prime minister, Samir Rifai, to resign.
Demonstrations began in Egypt on Jan. 25 and have grown by the day and have become more organized. On Tuesday volunteers working as part of the “People’s Security” milled through the crowds to weed out possible government infiltrators bent on sparking violence.
Banks, schools and other services in the capital remained closed for the third straight day Tuesday, making it hard for people to access cash and long lineups formed for people looking to buy bread. Chaos continues at Cairo’s international airport as foreigners scramble to book flights out of the country.
The military promised Monday it would not fire on protesters. Helicopters hovered overhead Tahrir Square Tuesday and soldiers manned checkpoints leading to the protest hub and did nothing to stop people from entering the area.
The Egyptian movement was bolstered by the revolution in Tunisia last month. Citizens fed up with government corruption, widespread poverty and unemployment took to the streets and forced President Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali to leave the country on Jan. 14. He seized power in a bloodless coup in 1987.
Egyptian protesters are demanding Mubarak to step down for similar reasons. Opposition groups claim the corrupt government has done little to deal with widespread poverty -- nearly half of the nation’s 80 million people live on about $2 a day -- and widespread unemployment -- approximately two thirds of the under-30 population are out of work.
Protesters have also taken to the streets in Jordan and on Tuesday King Abdullah announced he's forming a new government and has called on his prime minister, Samir Rifai, to resign.
Demonstrations began in Egypt on Jan. 25 and have grown by the day and have become more organized. On Tuesday volunteers working as part of the “People’s Security” milled through the crowds to weed out possible government infiltrators bent on sparking violence.
Banks, schools and other services in the capital remained closed for the third straight day Tuesday, making it hard for people to access cash and long lineups formed for people looking to buy bread. Chaos continues at Cairo’s international airport as foreigners scramble to book flights out of the country.
The various groups that make up the opposition force, including online activists, secular students and the outlawed fundamentalist Muslim Brotherhood -- a non-violent group that aims to form a state governed by Islamic law -- have different agendas and appear united only in the fact they want Mubarak out.
The newly appointed Vice President Omar Suleiman said on television he’s willing to sit down with opposition groups to discuss government reforms. Critics want restrictions lifted on who’s allowed to run for president. A presidential election is scheduled for September.
However, the prospect of talks with the new vice president created divisions within the opposition movement. Young pro-democracy protesters led by Mohamed ElBaradei, who’s emerged as a leader of the anti-Mubarak movement, boycotted a meeting of opposition groups because traditional political parties agreed to sit down with Suleiman.
The newly appointed Vice President Omar Suleiman said on television he’s willing to sit down with opposition groups to discuss government reforms. Critics want restrictions lifted on who’s allowed to run for president. A presidential election is scheduled for September.
However, the prospect of talks with the new vice president created divisions within the opposition movement. Young pro-democracy protesters led by Mohamed ElBaradei, who’s emerged as a leader of the anti-Mubarak movement, boycotted a meeting of opposition groups because traditional political parties agreed to sit down with Suleiman.
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