The Hindu : Front Page : Egyptian military says it is in control, begins exploring options

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Feb 13, 2011
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Front Page

Front Page

Egyptian military says it is in control, begins exploring options

Atul Aneja

Euphoria over Mubarak's exit gives way to circumspection

— PHOTO: AFP

Camaraderie reigns:A day after a popular uprising forced Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to quit, a debate rages over how the pro-democracy movement should adapt to the new era. Here, a protester is seen hugging an army commander at the Tahir Square in Cairo on Saturday.

CAIRO: The Egyptian military asserted on Saturday that it managed to fill the political void left behind with the departure of Hosni Mubarak, President for 30 years, and was ready to steer the country's transition to democracy in the post-Mubarak era.

An army spokesman reassured Egypt's allies, the United States and Israel, that Cairo would abide by all international treaties, including the 1979 peace treaty with Israel. Without stating any timelines, the spokesman said the current civilian leadership would continue until a new government was formed.

Internally, the military appeared to have taken steps to prevent prominent regime figures from fleeing the country. The Egyptian daily Al Masry Al Youm quoted a Cairo airport official as saying that the authorities had handed over to the immigration, a list of individuals who should be disallowed to travel abroad, unless the state prosecutor or the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces permitted them to do so.

At the Tahrir Square, the feeling of deep accomplishment brought about by Mr. Mubarak's unceremonious exit on Friday, was giving way to serious circumspection. Many questioned how the pro-democracy movement should adapt to the post-Mubarak era. Can the all-powerful military top brass be trusted for ushering in a democratic transition in Egypt? Was it time to wind up the Tahrir Square encampment, the most visible symbol of the uprising?

As the debate raged, a group describing itself as the “People of the 25 January Revolution” coalition announced “continuation of the peaceful revolution until final victory is achieved and all demands are met.”

Rejecting the military's open-ended timeline to lift the state of emergency, the group, in a statement, sought the “immediate” abolition of the Emergency law, a hated provision that anchors denial of civil liberties to the Egyptian citizenry. The coalition also called for abolition of the current Constitution, as well as dissolution of the People's Assembly, Shura Council and local councils.

Time to clean up

At the square, it was time to clean up following uproarious celebrations overnight that were triggered on Friday with the announcement over state television by Vice-President Omar Suleiman that the 30-year Mubarak-era had indeed drawn to a close.

On Saturday, brooms and spades in hand, men and women cleared rocks and debris, a reminder of the fateful overnight clashes that began on February 2, following vicious attacks by a state sponsored militia on peaceful pro-democracy activists assembled at the square. On Saturday, the military also lightened its presence around the square and craned out some of the burnt vehicles that had been left unattended.

As the military began exploring options, pro-democracy leader Mohamed ElBaradei suggested, during an interview with CNN, that he wanted the military to share power by forming a “government of national unity” to steer Egypt's political transition. Meanwhile, the Muslim Brotherhood, the largest Opposition party, has reiterated that the January 25 revolution was inclusive and belonged to all Egyptians. “This is a revolution for all Egyptians; there is no room for a single group's slogans, not the Brotherhood's or of anybody else,” the group's spokesman Mohamed Saad el-Katani said. He stressed that the group, during the course of the uprising, did not deliberately “raise Islamic slogans so that it can be the revolution of everyone.”

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Front Page