Egypt army tries to clear Tahrir

Scuffles break out when soldiers try to remove protesters from Cairo's Tahrir Square, days after Mubarak is ousted.

Soldiers have moved to try and clear pro-democracy protesters from Tahrir Square in Cairo [Reuters]

Source: Al Jazeera
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2011/02/201121344230580591.html

Scuffles have broken out in Cairo's Tahrir Square as soldiers tried to remove activists from the epicentre of Egypt's uprising which resulted in the president stepping down.

Hundreds of protesters remained in the square on Sunday and organisers said they would not leave until more of their demands are met.

Meanwhile, normality was slowly returning to the rest of Egypt, at the start of the first working day since Hosni Mubarak was toppled during the weekend.

Soldiers shoved pro-democracy protesters aside to force a path for traffic to start flowing through Tahrir Square for the first time in more than two weeks.

The tents, where protesters camped out during the 18 days of protests, were removed.

Protester Ashraf Ahmed said the military could tear down his tent, but that he was not going to leave "because so much still needs to be done. They haven't implemented anything yet.''

Al Jazeera's James Bays, reporting from Cairo, said the confrontations between troops and protesters was something of a "flashpoint".

"I think it reflects a bigger problem, that the military believes that now Mubarak is out, it's time for stability. But some of the protesters think not enough has been done yet. They don't want to clear that square until the army has handed over to a civilian government."

Protest organisers have threatened more rallies if the ruling Supreme Military Council fails to accept their agenda for reform.

"If the army does not fulfil our demands, our uprising and its measures will return stronger," Safwat Hegazi, a protest leader, said.

Organisers want the dissolution of parliament and the lifting of a 30-year-old state of emergency.

Cabinet to stay

The spokesman for the cabinet, appointed when Mubarak was still in office, said on Sunday that it will not undergo a major reshuffle and will stay to oversee a political transformation in the coming months.

"The shape of the government will stay until the process of transformation is done in a few months, then a new government will be appointed based on the democratic principles in place," the spokesman told Reuters, adding that it was possible some portfolios could change hands in that period.

The Supreme Military Council vowed on Saturday to hand power to an elected, civilian government.

The military will "guarantee the peaceful transition of power in the framework of a free, democratic system which allows an elected, civilian power to govern the country to build a democratic, free state", a senior army officer announced on state television.

The council also pledged to honour its international treaties - in an apparent nod to the country's 1979 peace treaty with Israel.

"The Arab Republic of Egypt is committed to all regional and international obligations and treaties," the military statement read.

Binyamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, welcomed the assurance, saying the "longstanding peace treaty between Israel and Egypt ... is the cornerstone for peace and stability in the entire Middle East".

Later on Saturday, Egyptian state television reported that prosecutors had begun an investigation into three former ministers from Mubarak's government.

Travel bans

Travel bans were imposed on former prime minister Ahmed Nazif and former interior minister Habib al-Adli, who were both sacked by Mubarak before he stepped down from the presidency on Friday.

A travel ban was also imposed on Anas el-Fekky, the information minister, who had been reappointed in a cabinet that had been swiftly sworn in as a concession to protesters. Shortly afterwards, Egypt's current prime minister Ahmed Shafiq told a private Egyptian television station that el-Fekky had resigned and that his resignation had been accepted.

Al Jazeera's Sherine Tadros, reporting from Cairo, said the bans were likely to be welcomed by pro-democracy activists, some of whom vowed to remain in the capital's Tahrir Square until their agenda for democratic reform is fully accepted.

"People out on the streets at the beginning were very much calling for the end of the regime, they were saying they don't want any of these people to remain in Egypt," she said.

"After the step down of President Hosni Mubarak they will be looking for accountability and that is what Egyptian authorities are now providing."

Our correspondent said questions now remain over how the military's transition to civilian rule will take place.

"I’m worried about the future," one Egyptian told Al Jazeera. "Nobody knows what's coming. We need to rebuild our country and economy because we are venturing into the unknown."

Despite the uncertainty, celebrations continued in Cairo and other parts of the country a day after Mubarak stepped down, handing power to the military.

Al Jazeera's online producer, Evan Hill, reported some instances of fighting between the army and protesters in Cairo as the military worked to dismantle barricades that protesters promptly put back in place in their effort to remain in the square.

For the most part, however, the day proceeded without any major incidents, following 18 days of rallies in Tahrir Square that culminated in a mass celebration on Friday at the news that Mubarak had stepped down.

The highest-ranking figure in Egypt is now Field Marshal Mohammed Hussein Tantawi, the country's defence minister and head of the military supreme council.

What next for Egypt?

Analysts, politicians and pro-democracy campaigners outline how they see the future of Egypt developing post-Mubarak.

People celebrating in Tahrir Square after the announcement that Mubarak had stepped down [Reuters]

Source: Al Jazeera
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2011/02/2011211185822855928.html

After 18 days of persistent protests calling for his resignation, Hosni Mubarak has stepped down as Egypt's president following three decades in power.

For an interim period, power has been handed over to the armed forces. Below, commentators, politicians and pro-democracy campaigners outline how they see the future of the country developing.

Mohamed ElBaradei, Egyptian opposition figure

"What I have been proposing is a transitional period of one year. We will have a provisional constitution. We'll have a transitional government, hopefully a presidential council, including a person from the army and a couple of civilians.

"The main idea is that the army and the Egyptian people will work together in a systematic way for a year to reach the point where we can hold a genuine free and fair election, a parliamentary election and a presidential election. I think the people of Egypt, who have been suppressed for at least 30 years, are ready to wait for a year as they see things are going in the right direction."

Ayman Nour, former presidential candidate, Al Ghad party

"From today, we are going to meet with the National Society for Change to arrive at a final conclusion whereby we can shape and define our demands.

"We want a civil state. We are going to agree on the shape and format of the transitional period of the coming few months. where the landscape of Egypt will change, through reforms, political and economical, whereby we can end by a civil state, free elections for people to chose who will represent them ... We can endure a transitional period for six to nine months, even a year.

"We have been waiting for years, years of struggle against this tyranny."

Adhaf Soueif, Egyptian writer and political commentator

"I imagine that we are going to want to put in place a civilian council that will put in place a civilian technocratic non-political government which will run the country while a constitution is being fixed so that it can serve its purpose of delivering free and fair democratic elections and then that should happen within six months within six months.

"The military has said it will guarantee this process. Obviously the details will have to be worked out but I think the last two weeks have been a crash-course and people have found such join and pleasure in it that the process will be quite smooth."

Catherine Ashton, EU foreign policy chief

"The critical thing for the EU now is to offer our support, to help in this process. It needs to be a process that people can believe in and the people of Egypt need to feel that there's a transition under way and that the people of Europe will be there to help them. We have a lot of experience and we will put resources behind that.

"We're keen to put that at the disposal. It's for the Egyptian people to decide their future but we're willing to help.

"We'll be looking to see whether we can support them in the election process, to help them not only to monitor the elections but also get ready for the elections, to look at whether we can support them in other ways, to build civil society, all the different elements to really build what I call deep democracy."

Hossam El Hamalawy, pro-democracy campaigner

"This is only the beginning. We have a list of demands and the battle is not over yet. We got rid of Mubarak but now it's time to get rid of the Mubarak dictatorship."

Ali Abdel Wahab, pro-democracy campaigner

"People are ushering in a new era for Egypt. What happens next much depends on how the military handles things from now on.

"What most expect is an interim government and not solely to be ruled by the military council because that would be just taking us back to the era of this horrendous regime that has rule the country not for 30 years but for 60.

"I think all of us have to be involved in creating democratic institutions and a powerful civil society assuring that freedom of expression becomes a trademark of the future Egypt."

Barack Obama, US president

"The people of Egypt have spoken. Their voices have been heard - and Egypt will never be the same. By stepping down, President Mubarak responded to the Egyptian peoples' hunger for change.

"Egyptians have made it clear that nothing less than genuine democracy will carry the day. The armed forces will now have to ensure a political transition that is credible in the eyes of the Egyptian people."

Post-Mubarak era dawns on Egypt

People power has spoken in the biggest Arab nation just four weeks after Tunisians toppled their own ageing ruler.




Source: Al Jazeera
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2011/02/201121253441731292.html

Egyptians have woken to a new dawn after 30 years of rule under Hosni Mubarak.

As the Muslim call to prayer reverberated across Cairo on Saturday, the sound of horns honking in jubilation could still be heard after a night when millions celebrated the fall of the president, who has handed over power to the military.

After 18 days of rallies at Cairo's Tahrir Square, resisting police assaults and a last-ditch raid by Mubarak supporters, people packed not just the epicentre but, it seemed, every street and neighbourhood of the capital. Similar was the scene in other cities and towns across the country.

Fireworks lit the night sky, cars honked under swathes of red, white and black Egyptian flags and people hoisted children above their heads. Some took souvenir pictures with smiling soldiers atop their tanks on city streets.

Everyone cried, laughed and embraced in the hope of a new era.

Al Jazeera’s Jacky Rowland, reporting from Cairo, said that in the coming days people will have some concerns.

“The obvious thing that is going to be concerning many people is to have some kind of a clear roadmap for the progress towards democratic elections,” she said. “After all this was a revolution not only to overthrow President Mubarak, but also to remove the whole system and install it with one where people would have freedom of choice with [regards to who] who runs the country.”

It all began when Omar Suleiman, the vice-president, said on Friday in a televised address that the president was "waiving" his office, and had handed over authority to the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces.

Suleiman's 50-word statement was received with a roar of approval and by celebratory chanting and flag-waving from a crowd of hundreds of thousands in Cairo's Tahrir Square, as well as by other pro-democracy campaigners who were attending protests across the country.



The top figure in Egypt is now Field Marshal Mohammed Hussein Tantawi, the country's defence minister and head of the supreme council.

In its third statement to the nation since Thursday, the council said in a televised address that it was examining the situation "in order to materialise the aspirations of our great nation".

The council spokesman said that "resolutions and statements regarding the ... actions to be followed" in order to achieve the demands of the people will be handed down later.

He also extended "greetings and appreciation" to Mubarak for his service to the country, and saluted the "martyrs and those who have fallen" during the protests.

Nezar al Sayyad, a Middle East specialist, told Al Jazeera that Egypt “is in a very critical stage in terms of what is going to happen next.”

“I think it’s extremely important to remember here that although Omar Suleiman made the announcement that Mubarak made the decision to step down, we don’t really know if Mubarak decided to step down or [if] he was forcibly removed by the armed forces and by the supreme council,” Al Sayyad said.

He said the next steps taken by Tantawi and other members of the supreme council, will “be extremely important in pushing the country forward”.

'Dream come true'

The crowd in Tahrir responded to Suleiman's statement by chanting "we have brought down the regime".

Mohamed ElBaradei, a prominent opposition leader, hailed the moment as being "a dream come true".

"I can't tell you how every Egyptian feels today," he said. "We have been able to restore our humanity ... to be free and independent".

ElBaradei reiterated that Egypt now needs to return to stability and proposed that a transition government be put in place for the next year.

The government, he said, would include figures from the army, from the opposition and from other circles.

"We need to go on ... our priority is to make sure the country is restored as a socially cohesive, economically vibrant and ... democratic country," he said.

Ayman Nour, another opposition figure and a former presidential candidate, told Al Jazeera that he would consider running for the presidency again if there was consensus on his candidacy.

He said Februray 11, 2011 is "the greatest day in Egyptian history".

"This nation has been born again. These people have been born again, and this is a new Egypt."

Amr Moussa, the secretary-general of the Arab League, said that he would resign from his post, one that he has headed for about 10 years, "within weeks". Some analysts say he may well run for the Egyptian presidency when elections are held.

Following Mubarak's announcement, our correspondent in Tahrir Square, said: "Tonight, after all of these weeks of frustration, of violence, of intimidation ... today the people of Egypt undoubtedly [feel they] have been heard, not only by the president, but by people all around the world."

'Explosion of emotion'

Our correspondents across the country reported scenes of jubilation and celebration on the streets of major cities.

"The sense of euphoria is simply indescribable," said our correspondent at Mubarak's Heliopolis presidential palace, where at least 10,000 pro-democracy activists had gathered.

"I have waited, I have worked all my adult life to see the power of the people come to the fore and show itself. I am speechless," Dina Magdi, a pro-democracy campaigner in Tahrir Square said.

"The moment is not only about Mubarak stepping down, it is also about people's power to bring about the change that no-one ... thought possible."

In Alexandria, Egypt's second largest city, our correspondent described an "explosion of emotion". He said that hundreds of thousands were celebrating in the streets.

'Farewell Friday'

Suleiman's announcement came after hundreds of thousands of Egyptians took the streets for the 18th consecutive day, marching on presidential palaces, state television buildings and other government installations.

They had dubbed the day 'Farewell Friday', and had called for "millions" to turn out and demand that Mubarak resign.

Hundreds of thousands gathered at Tahrir Square, chanting slogans against the government.

Similar numbers were also reported from Alexandria, where some protesters marched to a presidential palace there.

Protests were also reported from the cities of Mansoura, Mahalla, Suez, Tanta and Ismailia with thousands in attendance.

Violence was reported in the north Sinai town of el-Arish, where protesters attempted to storm a police station.

At least one person was killed, and 20 wounded in that attack, our correspondent said.

Hosni Mubarak resigns as president

Egyptian president stands down and hands over power to the Supreme Council for the Armed Forces.

Pro-democracy protesters in Tahrir Square have vowed to take the protests to a 'last and final stage' [AFP]

Source: Al Jazeera
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2011/02/201121125158705862.html

Hosni Mubarak, the Egyptian president, has resigned from his post, handing over power to the armed forces.

Omar Suleiman, the vice-president, announced in a televised address that the president was "waiving" his office, and had handed over authority to the Supreme Council of the armed forces.

Suleiman's short statement was received with a roar of approval and by celebratory chanting and flag-waving from a crowd of hundreds of thousands in Cairo's Tahrir Square, as well by pro-democracy campaigners who attended protests across the country on Friday.

"Tonight, after all of these weeks of frustration, of violence, of intimidation ... today the people of Egypt undoubtedly [feel they] have been heard, not only by the president, but by people all around the world," our correspondent at Tahrir Square reported, following the announcement.

Pro-democracy activists in the Egyptian capital had marched on the presidential palace and state television buildings on Friday, the 18th consecutive day of protests.

Anger at state television

At the state television building, thousands have blocked people from entering or leaving, accusing the broadcaster of supporting the current government and of not truthfully reporting on the protests.

"The military has stood aside and people are flooding through [a gap where barbed wire has been moved aside]," Al Jazeera's correspondent at the state television building reported.

He said that "a lot of anger [was] generated" after Mubarak's speech last night, where he repeated his vow to complete his term as president.

'Gaining momentum'

Outside the palace in Heliopolis, where at least ten thousand protesters had gathered in Cairo, another Al Jazeera correspondent reported that there was a strong military presence, but that there was "no indication that the military wants to crack down on protesters".

She said that army officers had engaged in dialogue with protesters, and that remarks had been largely "friendly".

Tanks and military personnel had been deployed to bolster barricades around the palace.

Our correspondent said the crowd in Heliopolis was "gaining momentum by the moment", and that the crowd had gone into a frenzy when two helicopters were seen in the air around the palace grounds.

"By all accounts this is a highly civilised gathering. people are separated from the palace by merely a barbed wire ... but nobody has even attempted to cross that wire," she said.

As crowds grew outside the palace, Mubarak left Cairo on Friday for the Red Sea resort of Sharm al-Shaikh, according to sources who spoke to Al Jazeera.

In Tahrir Square, hundreds of thousands of protesters gathered, chanting slogans against Mubarak and calling for the military to join them in their demands.

Our correspondent at the square said the "masses" of pro-democracy campaigners there appeared to have "clear resolution" and "bigger resolve" to achieve their goals than ever before.

However, he also said that protesters were "confused by mixed messages" coming from the army, which has at times told them that their demands will be met, yet in communiques and other statements supported Mubarak's staying in power until at least September.

Army statement

In a statement read out on state television at midday, the military announced that it would lift a 30-year-old emergency law but only "as soon as the current circumstances end".

The military said it would also guarantee changes to the constitution as well as a free and fair election, and it called for normal business activity to resume.

Many protesters, hoping for Mubarak's resignation, had anticipated a much stronger statement.

Al Jazeera's correspondent in Tahrir Square said people there were hugely disappointed and vowed to take the protests to "a last and final stage".

"They're frustrated, they're angry, and they say protests need to go beyond Liberation [Tahrir] Square, to the doorstep of political institutions," she said.

Protest organisers have called for 20 million people to come out on "Farewell Friday" in a final attempt to force Mubarak to step down.

Alexandria protests

Hossam El Hamalawy, a pro-democracy organiser and member of the Socialist Studies Centre, said protesters were heading towards the presidential palace from multiple directions, calling on the army to side with them and remove Mubarak.

"People are extremely angry after yesterday's speech," he told Al Jazeera. "Anything can happen at the moment. There is self-restraint all over but at the same time I honestly can't tell you what the next step will be ... At this time, we don't trust them [the army commanders] at all."

An Al Jazeera reporter overlooking Tahrir said the side streets leading into the square were filling up with crowds.

"It's an incredible scene. From what I can judge, there are more people here today than yesterday night," she said.

"The military has not gone into the square except some top commanders, one asking people to go home ... I don't see any kind of tensions between the people and the army but all of this might change very soon if the army is seen as not being on the side of the people."

Hundreds of thousands were participating in Friday prayers outside a mosque in downtown Alexandria, Egypt's second biggest city.

Thousands of pro-democracy campaigners also gathered outside a presidential palace in Alexandria.

Egyptian television reported that large angry crowds were heading from Giza, adjacent to Cairo, towards Tahrir Square and some would march on the presidential palace.

Protests are also being held in the cities of Mansoura, Mahala, Tanta, Ismailia, and Suez, with thousands in attendance.

Violence was reported in the north Sinai town of el-Arish, where protesters attempted to storm a police station. At least one person was killed, and 20 wounded in that attack, our correspondent said.

Anger at Mubarak statement

In a televised address to the nation on Thursday, Mubarak said he was handing "the functions of the president" to Vice-President Omar Suleiman. But the move means he retains his title of president.

Halfway through his much-awaited speech late at night, anticipation turned into anger among protesters camped in Tahrir Square who began taking off their shoes and waving them in the air.

Immediately after Mubarak's speech, Suleiman called on the protesters to "go home" and asked Egyptians to "unite and look to the future."

Union workers have joined the protests over the past few days, effectively crippling transportation and several industries, and dealing a sharper blow to Mubarak’s embattled regime.