Dubai: Egypt's military leaders dissolved parliament and suspended the constitution on Sunday, meeting two key demands of protesters who have been keeping up pressure for immediate steps to push forward the transition to democratic, civilian rule.
In their latest communique the military officers who took over after president Hosni Mubarak stepped down on Friday, said they will run the country for six months, or until presidential and parliament elections can be held. The military leaders said they were forming a committee to amend the constitution and set the rules for a popular referendum to endorse the amendments. Military Commander Mohammad Hussain Tantawi will be head of state until the people elect their next leader.
Treatment in Germany
The caretaker cabinet, which was appointed by Mubarak shortly after the mass protests began on January 25, will remain in place until a new cabinet is formed. The military council reiterated that it would abide by all of Egypt's international treaties agreed in the Mubarak era, most importantly the peace treaty with Israel.
Meanwhile, Spiegel Online reported on Sunday that a luxury hospital in Germany is where Mubarak will likely end up for the short term, to make a graceful exit from the country. Over the weekend, the New York Times reported that secret talks to that effect were being held between the US government and Egyptian officials.
An official source in Sharjah's Department of Civil Aviation denied that Mubarak's plane landed at Sharjah International Airport, in response to reports by some media agencies and websites.
Council's decisions
Following decisions were taken by the Higher Military Council:
- Suspension of the constitution
- Formation of a committee to amend some constitutional clauses and define the rules of a popular referendum on this
- Dissolution of parliament
- The Higher Military Council will run the country in a temporary capacity for six months or until the end of elections to both houses of parliament and the presidency
- The head of the council will represent Egypt abroad
- The Higher Military Council will issue laws in the transitional period
- Prime Minister Ahmad Shafiq will continue in office until the formation of a new government
- Holding elections to the two houses of parliament and the presidency
- State commits itself to implementing international treaties and obligations
Troops face some resistance
Earlier, Egypt's military moved on Sunday to restore order in Cairo after weeks of mass demonstrations, but troops faced some resistance as they tried to dismantle the protest camp at the heart of the movement that toppled former president Hosni Mubarak.
Prime Minister Ahmad Shafiq spoke at a news conference on Sunday after the first Cabinet meeting since Mubarak was forced to step down on Friday.
The prime minister says the caretaker government's priority now is restoring security as the country transitions from three decades of Hosni Mubarak's rule to a democracy.
"Our concern now in the Cabinet is security, to bring security back to the Egyptian citizen," he said.
Thousands of protesters streamed back into Al Tahrir, or Liberation, Square, on Sunday after the army tried to disperse them. Gunfire was heard near the Interior Ministry where police were demonstrating over wages.
Soldiers and military police took down the makeshift tents of protesters who had camped out in the square, but scuffles broke out with some young men who refused to leave. Many local residents also shouted at the protesters that it was time to go.
The crowd on Al Tahrir Square was down from a peak of a quarter-million at the height of the demonstrations to a few thousand on Sunday.
Most of those remaining have been pushed to sidewalks and the streets were open to traffic for the first time in more than two weeks.
Ramy Mohammad, who has been camped on the square since the protests began on January 25, said some troops beat the protesters with sticks as they tried to clear the square.
"They wanted to remove the tents but we still need guarantees. The army's latest statement was vague and didn't tell us exactly what they are going to do," Mohammad said.
Protester Ashraf Ahmad said the military can tear down his tent but he's not going to leave "because so much still needs to be done. They haven't implemented anything yet."
"I came here because I wanted freedom. Freedom is not complete," he said.
A cabinet meeting, due later on Sunday, could provide some answers to a protest movement hungry for change after the momentous revolution that shocked and enthralled the world and the region.
- With input from agencies
