Mubarak out in Egypt, military to run caretaker government…
Former Egyptian Vice President Suleiman, 4:02 pm, local Egyptian time, 2/11/2011:
In these difficult circumstances that the country is passing through, President Hosni Mubarak has decided to leave the position of the presidency. He has commissioned the armed forces council to direct the issues of the state.
Statement From the Supreme Council of the Egyptian Armed Forces:
Due to the consecutive developments in current incidents and which define the destiny of the country, and in context of continuous follow up for internal and external incidents, and the decision to delegate responsibilities to the vice president of the country, and in belief in our national responsibility to preserve the stability and safety of the nation.
The Supreme Council of the Egyptian Armed Forces decided to secure the implementation of the following procedures:
First: End the state of emergency as soon as the current circumstances are over.
Decide on the appeals against elections and consequent measures.
Conduct needed legislative amendments and conduct free and fair presidential elections in light of the approved constitutional amendments.
Second: The Armed forces are committed to sponsor the legitimate demands of the people and achieving them by following on the implementation of these procedures in the defined time frames with all accuracy and seriousness and until the peaceful transfer of authority is completed towards a free democratic community that the people aspire to.
Third: The Armed Forces emphasize on no security pursuit of the honest people who refused the corruption and demanded reforms, and warns against touching the security and safety of the nation and the people. And emphasizes the need for regular work in state facilities and regaining of life to normal to preserve the interests and possessions of our great people.
God protect the nation and the people.
Image via Guardian liveblog.
1 COMMENT
I am so happy for the people of Egypt, and so hopeful for their future. I very much want to see liberalization and democratization sweep through the Middle East and Northern Africa (MINA). It’s simultaneously horrific and poetic that the current unrest blazing in MINA like a wildfire was sparked by a young man literally setting himself ablaze in the streets of Tunisia.
The one thing that makes me nervous for Egypt is that in the end Mubarak appears to have been ousted by a military coup. It was a coup driven by (and approved by) the people, to be sure. But replacing a dictator with a general (or a committee of them) is very often a sign of trouble to come. I hope the people of Egypt aren’t lulled into complacency. The eternal vigilance that is the price of liberty is best directed against one’s own government.