Everyone in Egypt has had their say.
President Mubarak said he would not stand for re-election in September, but will rule until then. The army said the demands of the people had been heard and it was time for them to help Egypt return to normal life. The protesters said they are not leaving unless President Mubarak leaves.
After nine days of protests, the situation in Egypt is extremely tense as the different players in this game are unable to agree.
Last night, President Mubarak promised on state TV to leave at the next election, and pledged constitutional reform from now on. While some Egyptians supported the president, others reacted to his speech with gestures of rejection and shouts telling him to quit now. Today, thousands of Egyptians have taken to Tahrir Square again to demand that he step down immediately.
“While President Mubarak's offer of not standing again may satisfy some, there is broad agreement amongst the opposition that President Mubarak has to go first before any plausible political negotiations can go on,” says Dr Anthony Gorman, Lecturer in Modern Middle Eastern History and Politics at Edinburgh University, who spoke exclusively to The Fresh Outlook. He added: “Not only that, but there is now a sense of empowerment among many of the protesters.”
In his opinion, present clashes between anti and pro-Mubarak groups may be a sign of things to come.
The army changed its mind
Meanwhile, the Egyptian army, who so far, has expressed its support to the protesters by promising not to open fire or use force against them, has today called for an end to the protests.
“Your message has arrived, your demands became known... you are capable of bringing normal life to Egypt," said an army spokesman in a message broadcast on state television. However, they hinted at a possible confrontation if protesters fail to leave the streets.
According to Dr Gorman, the position of the military is critical: “It depends if it sides with the regime or comes to regard President Mubarak as a liability and decide to implicitly support a change, presumably with Omar Sulayman taking over in at least interim capacity.”
For many Egyptians, however, President Mubarak's deal is not enough and they are adamant that "We will not leave! He will leave!"
“The next days will tell in terms of the resolve of the protesters to stay in the streets and the position of the military in adopting a relatively neutral stance,” says Dr Gorman.
Meanwhile, there is another big day of protests scheduled for Friday. The future of Egypt is still to be written.
By Eva Fernandez
President Mubarak said he would not stand for re-election in September, but will rule until then. The army said the demands of the people had been heard and it was time for them to help Egypt return to normal life. The protesters said they are not leaving unless President Mubarak leaves.
After nine days of protests, the situation in Egypt is extremely tense as the different players in this game are unable to agree.
Last night, President Mubarak promised on state TV to leave at the next election, and pledged constitutional reform from now on. While some Egyptians supported the president, others reacted to his speech with gestures of rejection and shouts telling him to quit now. Today, thousands of Egyptians have taken to Tahrir Square again to demand that he step down immediately.
“While President Mubarak's offer of not standing again may satisfy some, there is broad agreement amongst the opposition that President Mubarak has to go first before any plausible political negotiations can go on,” says Dr Anthony Gorman, Lecturer in Modern Middle Eastern History and Politics at Edinburgh University, who spoke exclusively to The Fresh Outlook. He added: “Not only that, but there is now a sense of empowerment among many of the protesters.”
In his opinion, present clashes between anti and pro-Mubarak groups may be a sign of things to come.
The army changed its mind
Meanwhile, the Egyptian army, who so far, has expressed its support to the protesters by promising not to open fire or use force against them, has today called for an end to the protests.
“Your message has arrived, your demands became known... you are capable of bringing normal life to Egypt," said an army spokesman in a message broadcast on state television. However, they hinted at a possible confrontation if protesters fail to leave the streets.
According to Dr Gorman, the position of the military is critical: “It depends if it sides with the regime or comes to regard President Mubarak as a liability and decide to implicitly support a change, presumably with Omar Sulayman taking over in at least interim capacity.”
For many Egyptians, however, President Mubarak's deal is not enough and they are adamant that "We will not leave! He will leave!"
“The next days will tell in terms of the resolve of the protesters to stay in the streets and the position of the military in adopting a relatively neutral stance,” says Dr Gorman.
Meanwhile, there is another big day of protests scheduled for Friday. The future of Egypt is still to be written.
By Eva Fernandez
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