Related News
Egypt military rulers under pressure from protesters
Source: Agencies |
February 13, 2011, Sunday
|
Online Edition
Online Edition
EGYPT'S new military rulers, who have promised to hand power to civilians, faced impatient protesters today who want swift steps to prove their nation is set for democracy after Hosni Mubarak's overthrow.
In a bid to get Egypt working again, soldiers formed lines and moved in around protesters still in Cairo's Tahrir Square, at the heart of the capital, as traffic started flowing through the square for the first time in more than two weeks.
Protesters, who have vowed to stay in the square to hold the army to its commitments, chanted "Peacefully, peacefully" as the soldiers moved. A few resisted the line of troops and there was some pushing and shoving.
The military has given no timetable for the transition but says it is committed to civilian rule and democracy. A cabinet meeting, due later today, could provide some answers.
As Egypt celebrated the dawn of a new post-Mubarak era, the streets of central Cairo were still filled with euphoric crowds dancing to loud music and waving flags into the early hours of Sunday, more than 24 hours after Mubarak resigned.
Today, shops will reopen and many will head back to work, with life expected to begin to return to normal after 18 days of protests that changed the course of Egypt's history.
Mubarak's toppling marked the beginning of a new, uncertain era in the Middle East where autocratic leaders fear Egypt's revolt could spill over into other parts of the oil-rich region.
Restoring order is a top priority. Tanks and troops have been guarding strategic buildings so far as police disappeared from the streets. Repairing police stations burned down during the protests is another urgent task.
"The army is the backbone of Egypt. Their solution is not to remove us from the square. They must respond to our demands," said a protester over loudspeakers as the army moved in.
"If the army does not fulfill our demands, our uprising and its measures will return stronger," said Safwat Hegazi, a protest leader. Organizers want the dissolution of parliament and the lifting of a 30-year-old state of emergency.
Some protest organizers were forming a Council of Trustees to defend the revolution and negotiate with the military.
The carnival atmosphere in Cairo contrasted sharply with the tense and menacing atmosphere prior to Mubarak's downfall when soldiers with tanks manned checkpoints and vigilantes with machetes and big sticks guarded neighborhoods.
Brightly lit pleasure cruisers plied their trade on the Nile while horse-drawn carriages were back on the streets for intrepid sight-seers. Some people took photographs alongside smiling soldiers, and showed victory signs to each other.
Fashion and music shops reopened last night for the first time since the start of the crisis, and loud music reverberated through central Cairo all night.
Military leaders promised to honor Egypt's treaties, a message clearly aimed at easing concerns in Israel, which has a 1979 peace accord with Egypt, and in the United States, which considers that treaty the cornerstone of Middle East security.
US President Barack Obama welcomed the announcement from military leaders that they were committed to a democratic civilian transition and would stand by Egypt's international obligations. Obama called the leaders of Britain, Jordan and Turkey yesterday to discuss Egypt.
The new administration, keen to dissociate itself from Mubarak's old guard, said it was investigating accusations against the former prime minister, interior minister and information minister, state television reported.
Mubarak, 82, was believed to be at his residence in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, his future unclear.
The events in Egypt sent shockwaves abroad. In Yemen, an anti-government protest was broken up yesterday and in Algiers thousands of police stopped protesters from staging a march.
In a bid to get Egypt working again, soldiers formed lines and moved in around protesters still in Cairo's Tahrir Square, at the heart of the capital, as traffic started flowing through the square for the first time in more than two weeks.
Protesters, who have vowed to stay in the square to hold the army to its commitments, chanted "Peacefully, peacefully" as the soldiers moved. A few resisted the line of troops and there was some pushing and shoving.
The military has given no timetable for the transition but says it is committed to civilian rule and democracy. A cabinet meeting, due later today, could provide some answers.
As Egypt celebrated the dawn of a new post-Mubarak era, the streets of central Cairo were still filled with euphoric crowds dancing to loud music and waving flags into the early hours of Sunday, more than 24 hours after Mubarak resigned.
Today, shops will reopen and many will head back to work, with life expected to begin to return to normal after 18 days of protests that changed the course of Egypt's history.
Mubarak's toppling marked the beginning of a new, uncertain era in the Middle East where autocratic leaders fear Egypt's revolt could spill over into other parts of the oil-rich region.
Restoring order is a top priority. Tanks and troops have been guarding strategic buildings so far as police disappeared from the streets. Repairing police stations burned down during the protests is another urgent task.
"The army is the backbone of Egypt. Their solution is not to remove us from the square. They must respond to our demands," said a protester over loudspeakers as the army moved in.
"If the army does not fulfill our demands, our uprising and its measures will return stronger," said Safwat Hegazi, a protest leader. Organizers want the dissolution of parliament and the lifting of a 30-year-old state of emergency.
Some protest organizers were forming a Council of Trustees to defend the revolution and negotiate with the military.
The carnival atmosphere in Cairo contrasted sharply with the tense and menacing atmosphere prior to Mubarak's downfall when soldiers with tanks manned checkpoints and vigilantes with machetes and big sticks guarded neighborhoods.
Brightly lit pleasure cruisers plied their trade on the Nile while horse-drawn carriages were back on the streets for intrepid sight-seers. Some people took photographs alongside smiling soldiers, and showed victory signs to each other.
Fashion and music shops reopened last night for the first time since the start of the crisis, and loud music reverberated through central Cairo all night.
Military leaders promised to honor Egypt's treaties, a message clearly aimed at easing concerns in Israel, which has a 1979 peace accord with Egypt, and in the United States, which considers that treaty the cornerstone of Middle East security.
US President Barack Obama welcomed the announcement from military leaders that they were committed to a democratic civilian transition and would stand by Egypt's international obligations. Obama called the leaders of Britain, Jordan and Turkey yesterday to discuss Egypt.
The new administration, keen to dissociate itself from Mubarak's old guard, said it was investigating accusations against the former prime minister, interior minister and information minister, state television reported.
Mubarak, 82, was believed to be at his residence in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, his future unclear.
The events in Egypt sent shockwaves abroad. In Yemen, an anti-government protest was broken up yesterday and in Algiers thousands of police stopped protesters from staging a march.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
