Egypt's vice president agrees concessions as calm returns
Source: Agencies |
February 7, 2011, Monday
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EGYPT'S vice president agreed to allow freedom of the press, to release those detained since anti-government protests began and to lift the country's hated emergency laws when security permits during a meeting with a broad representation of major opposition groups yesterday.
Vice President Omar Suleiman endorsed a plan with the opposition to set up a committee of judiciary and political figures to study proposed constitutional reforms that would allow more candidates to run for president and impose term limits on the presidency, the state news agency reported.
The committee was given until the first week of March to finish the tasks.
The government also pledged not to harass those taking part in protests, which have drawn hundreds of thousands at the biggest rallies. The government agreed not to hamper freedom of press and not to interfere with text messaging and the Internet.
The meeting was the broadest representation of Egypt's fragmented opposition to sit with the new vice president since protests demanding that President Hosni Mubarak step down began on January 25.
The latest agreement makes no mention of any plan for Mubarak to go before a new election is held later this year.
Mubarak has pledged publicly that he will not seek re-election. The government promised his son Gamal, who had widely been expected to succeed him, would also not stand.
There were signs that the paralysis that has gripped the country since the crisis began was easing yesterday, the first day of the week in Egypt. Some schools reopened for the first time in more than a week, and banks did the same for just three hours with long lines outside.
There was no sign, however, that the growing list of government concessions would end the protests. "We are determined to press on until our No. 1 demand is met," said Khaled Abdul-Hameed, a representative of the protesters.
He said the activists had formed a 10-member "Coalition of the Youths of Egypt's Revolution," to relay their positions to politicians and public figures negotiating with the government.
"The regime is retreating. It is making more concessions every day," Abdul-Hameed said.
Mubarak is insisting he cannot stand down now as it would only deepen the chaos in his country. The United States shifted signals and gave key backing to the government's gradual changes on Saturday, warning of the dangers if Mubarak goes too quickly.
The opposition groups represented at the meeting with Suleiman included the youthful supporters of leading democracy advocate Mohamed ElBaradei. The outlawed Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt's largest opposition group, and a number of smaller leftist, liberal groups also attended the meeting.
Vice President Omar Suleiman endorsed a plan with the opposition to set up a committee of judiciary and political figures to study proposed constitutional reforms that would allow more candidates to run for president and impose term limits on the presidency, the state news agency reported.
The committee was given until the first week of March to finish the tasks.
The government also pledged not to harass those taking part in protests, which have drawn hundreds of thousands at the biggest rallies. The government agreed not to hamper freedom of press and not to interfere with text messaging and the Internet.
The meeting was the broadest representation of Egypt's fragmented opposition to sit with the new vice president since protests demanding that President Hosni Mubarak step down began on January 25.
The latest agreement makes no mention of any plan for Mubarak to go before a new election is held later this year.
Mubarak has pledged publicly that he will not seek re-election. The government promised his son Gamal, who had widely been expected to succeed him, would also not stand.
There were signs that the paralysis that has gripped the country since the crisis began was easing yesterday, the first day of the week in Egypt. Some schools reopened for the first time in more than a week, and banks did the same for just three hours with long lines outside.
There was no sign, however, that the growing list of government concessions would end the protests. "We are determined to press on until our No. 1 demand is met," said Khaled Abdul-Hameed, a representative of the protesters.
He said the activists had formed a 10-member "Coalition of the Youths of Egypt's Revolution," to relay their positions to politicians and public figures negotiating with the government.
"The regime is retreating. It is making more concessions every day," Abdul-Hameed said.
Mubarak is insisting he cannot stand down now as it would only deepen the chaos in his country. The United States shifted signals and gave key backing to the government's gradual changes on Saturday, warning of the dangers if Mubarak goes too quickly.
The opposition groups represented at the meeting with Suleiman included the youthful supporters of leading democracy advocate Mohamed ElBaradei. The outlawed Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt's largest opposition group, and a number of smaller leftist, liberal groups also attended the meeting.
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