NEW: Protesters in front of Egypt's parliament try to block the army from breaking them upSuleiman says the call for Mubarak's 'departure' is unethicalThe vice president says a coup would lead to more "irrationality"
Cairo, Egypt (CNN) -- A mass of protesters maintained their ground at the epicenter of demonstrations Wednesday after Egypt's vice president said the call for President Hosni Mubarak's immediate departure is disrespectful to the people of the country.
Protesters united in Cairo's Tahrir Square Wednesday for a 16th day of demonstrations. A massive Egyptian flag was sprawled across part of Tahrir, and by 1 p.m. (6 a.m. ET) a large section of the square was packed.
Meanwhile, another group of protesters tried to block the country's army from breaking up demonstrations near Egypt's parliament. The army tried to talk protesters into leaving, but demonstrators blocked off two ends of the street in front of the parliament.
The throngs of protesters returned a day after Vice President Omar Suleiman denounced the massive call for Mubarak's immediate exit.
"The word 'departure,' which is repeated by some of the protesters, is against the ethics of the Egyptians because Egyptians respect their elders and their president," Suleiman told a group of newspaper editors, according to a state-run news agency. "It is also an insulting word not only to the president but for the people of Egypt as a whole."
State-run Nile TV showed footage of Mubarak meeting Wednesday with the country's foreign minister and Alexander Sultanov, Russian deputy foreign minister and Mideast envoy. It was not immediately clear what the officials were discussing.
Thousands jammed Tahrir Square on Tuesday, dismissing the embattled regime's pledges of constitutional reforms. Some were galvanized by the words of a freed Google executive, and a second front sprouted as protesters filled the city block where Egypt's parliament building stands.
Wael Ghonim, the Google executive who was seized January 28 and released Monday, became a face for Egypt's uprising. After a television interview that inspired protesters, Ghonim spoke from a makeshift stage Tuesday in Tahrir Square.
"This country, I have said for a long time, this country is our country, and everyone has a right to this country," he said. "You have a voice in this country. This is not the time for conflicting ideas, or factions, or ideologies. This is the time for us to say one thing only, 'Egypt is above all else.'"
Ghonim, a Dubai-based marketing executive, is the administrator of a Facebook page called "We are all Khaled Said," named after an Alexandria activist who was allegedly beaten to death by police. The page is widely credited with calling the first protest January 25.
Another Facebook page created to authorize Ghonim to speak on behalf of the protesters has 150,000 fans.
Dalia, a protester in Tahrir Square who did not give her last name, said she came to the demonstration for the first time Tuesday. "Nothing will make this regime go unless we keep on coming and keep on coming," she said.
As protesters entered the square, they were greeted by a crowd of singing and clapping supporters.
"Hang in there," the reception line sang, "freedom is being born."
Suleiman blamed the large presence of demonstrators and some satellite TV channels for making people reluctant to go to work, according to state-run media.
The vice president also said that "dialogue and mutual understanding are the first way to achieve stability" and that a coup would "mean miscalculated and rushed steps" and would lead to more "irrationality."
Earlier, Suleiman announced on state television that a committee has been authorized to amend Egypt's constitution to allow for free, fair and competitive elections. The amendments, Suleiman said, would be drafted by an independent judicial commission.
He said he had discussed a number of reforms in recent talks with opposition representatives. Among them were greater freedom for the media, the release of detainees and the lifting of the continuous state of emergency. He also assured Egyptians that they should not fear arrest for speaking their minds.
But with the credibility of the regime in serious question, the statements from Mubarak's deputy fell short. Real change, say Mubarak's foes, can only come with Mubarak's immediate departure and an overhaul of the constitution, not amendments here and there.
"That's not good enough," said Mohammed Habib, a leader of the Muslim Brotherhood, a key opposition party in Egypt that is outlawed by the constitution on grounds that it is based on religion.
"The first thing that the regime should do is for the president to leave," he said. "The government is dividing the opposition through these announcements."
Asem Abedine, head of the pan-Arab Nassiri party, said Mubarak is merely angling for time.
"The government is only making these announcements to avoid making real changes demanded by the people," he said. "The emergency laws should be lifted."
Mubarak has ruled Egypt with an iron hand since 1981, aided by an emergency decree that gave him sweeping powers.
Since the protests began January 25, he has appointed a vice president for the first time, reshuffled his Cabinet and announced that he won't seek a new term in September.
However, the constitution remains, reshaped in 2005 and again in 2007, to help retain power for the ruling National Democratic Party.
It has been at the heart of the dialogue between the government and some opposition representatives, who want several articles amended to make way for greater political participation.
The demonstrations got an extra shot of energy Tuesday from Ghonim's interview on Dream TV, a private Egyptian satellite channel. Ghonim said four people surrounded him at 1 a.m. on January 28.
"I yelled, 'Help me,' but of course I knew these were security forces.
"The thing that tortured me the most when I was in detention was that people would find out that I was the admin (of the Facebook page)," he said. "Because I am not the hero -- I was writing with the keyboard on the internet and my life was not exposed to any danger."
He walked out of the Dream TV interview in tears after being shown photos of those killed in the uprising.
"I want to say to every mother and every father that lost his child, I am sorry, but this is not our fault," he said before leaving. "I swear to God this is not our fault. It is the fault of everyone who was holding onto power greedily and would not let it go."
But while the crowds remained large and energetic, opposition voices have started to splinter.
Some, including members of the self-declared Council of the Wise, have said they don't agree that Mubarak's immediate departure would be the best thing for Egypt.
Arab League Secretary-General Amre Moussa, who was among protesters last week, told CNN this week that Mubarak should be allowed a "dignified exit" in September.
"I believe that the president should stay until the end of his mandate. The consensus is growing on this point because of certain constitutional considerations," Moussa said.
State television in Egypt has suggested that the United States is helping fund the protests, which -- it says -- have been infiltrated by Hamas, Hezbollah, Iran and others.
The divisions within the opposition raised fears that they could work to the regime's advantage.
"The danger at the moment is that this opposition, which a few days ago seemed to unite, is now being divided," said Cairo-based analyst Issandr El Amrani. "The regime is using its tried and true tactic of divide and conquer."
CNN's Ben Wedeman, Ian Lee, Salma Abdelaziz, Saad Abedine, Amir Ahmed, Frederik Pleitgen, Caroline Faraj and Jill Dougherty contributed to this report.
View the original article here
Cairo, Egypt (CNN) -- A mass of protesters maintained their ground at the epicenter of demonstrations Wednesday after Egypt's vice president said the call for President Hosni Mubarak's immediate departure is disrespectful to the people of the country.
Protesters united in Cairo's Tahrir Square Wednesday for a 16th day of demonstrations. A massive Egyptian flag was sprawled across part of Tahrir, and by 1 p.m. (6 a.m. ET) a large section of the square was packed.
Meanwhile, another group of protesters tried to block the country's army from breaking up demonstrations near Egypt's parliament. The army tried to talk protesters into leaving, but demonstrators blocked off two ends of the street in front of the parliament.
The throngs of protesters returned a day after Vice President Omar Suleiman denounced the massive call for Mubarak's immediate exit.
"The word 'departure,' which is repeated by some of the protesters, is against the ethics of the Egyptians because Egyptians respect their elders and their president," Suleiman told a group of newspaper editors, according to a state-run news agency. "It is also an insulting word not only to the president but for the people of Egypt as a whole."
State-run Nile TV showed footage of Mubarak meeting Wednesday with the country's foreign minister and Alexander Sultanov, Russian deputy foreign minister and Mideast envoy. It was not immediately clear what the officials were discussing.
Thousands jammed Tahrir Square on Tuesday, dismissing the embattled regime's pledges of constitutional reforms. Some were galvanized by the words of a freed Google executive, and a second front sprouted as protesters filled the city block where Egypt's parliament building stands.
Wael Ghonim, the Google executive who was seized January 28 and released Monday, became a face for Egypt's uprising. After a television interview that inspired protesters, Ghonim spoke from a makeshift stage Tuesday in Tahrir Square.
"This country, I have said for a long time, this country is our country, and everyone has a right to this country," he said. "You have a voice in this country. This is not the time for conflicting ideas, or factions, or ideologies. This is the time for us to say one thing only, 'Egypt is above all else.'"
Ghonim, a Dubai-based marketing executive, is the administrator of a Facebook page called "We are all Khaled Said," named after an Alexandria activist who was allegedly beaten to death by police. The page is widely credited with calling the first protest January 25.
Another Facebook page created to authorize Ghonim to speak on behalf of the protesters has 150,000 fans.
Dalia, a protester in Tahrir Square who did not give her last name, said she came to the demonstration for the first time Tuesday. "Nothing will make this regime go unless we keep on coming and keep on coming," she said.
As protesters entered the square, they were greeted by a crowd of singing and clapping supporters.
"Hang in there," the reception line sang, "freedom is being born."
Suleiman blamed the large presence of demonstrators and some satellite TV channels for making people reluctant to go to work, according to state-run media.
The vice president also said that "dialogue and mutual understanding are the first way to achieve stability" and that a coup would "mean miscalculated and rushed steps" and would lead to more "irrationality."
Earlier, Suleiman announced on state television that a committee has been authorized to amend Egypt's constitution to allow for free, fair and competitive elections. The amendments, Suleiman said, would be drafted by an independent judicial commission.
He said he had discussed a number of reforms in recent talks with opposition representatives. Among them were greater freedom for the media, the release of detainees and the lifting of the continuous state of emergency. He also assured Egyptians that they should not fear arrest for speaking their minds.
But with the credibility of the regime in serious question, the statements from Mubarak's deputy fell short. Real change, say Mubarak's foes, can only come with Mubarak's immediate departure and an overhaul of the constitution, not amendments here and there.
"That's not good enough," said Mohammed Habib, a leader of the Muslim Brotherhood, a key opposition party in Egypt that is outlawed by the constitution on grounds that it is based on religion.
"The first thing that the regime should do is for the president to leave," he said. "The government is dividing the opposition through these announcements."
Asem Abedine, head of the pan-Arab Nassiri party, said Mubarak is merely angling for time.
"The government is only making these announcements to avoid making real changes demanded by the people," he said. "The emergency laws should be lifted."
Mubarak has ruled Egypt with an iron hand since 1981, aided by an emergency decree that gave him sweeping powers.
Since the protests began January 25, he has appointed a vice president for the first time, reshuffled his Cabinet and announced that he won't seek a new term in September.
However, the constitution remains, reshaped in 2005 and again in 2007, to help retain power for the ruling National Democratic Party.
It has been at the heart of the dialogue between the government and some opposition representatives, who want several articles amended to make way for greater political participation.
The demonstrations got an extra shot of energy Tuesday from Ghonim's interview on Dream TV, a private Egyptian satellite channel. Ghonim said four people surrounded him at 1 a.m. on January 28.
"I yelled, 'Help me,' but of course I knew these were security forces.
"The thing that tortured me the most when I was in detention was that people would find out that I was the admin (of the Facebook page)," he said. "Because I am not the hero -- I was writing with the keyboard on the internet and my life was not exposed to any danger."
He walked out of the Dream TV interview in tears after being shown photos of those killed in the uprising.
"I want to say to every mother and every father that lost his child, I am sorry, but this is not our fault," he said before leaving. "I swear to God this is not our fault. It is the fault of everyone who was holding onto power greedily and would not let it go."
But while the crowds remained large and energetic, opposition voices have started to splinter.
Some, including members of the self-declared Council of the Wise, have said they don't agree that Mubarak's immediate departure would be the best thing for Egypt.
Arab League Secretary-General Amre Moussa, who was among protesters last week, told CNN this week that Mubarak should be allowed a "dignified exit" in September.
"I believe that the president should stay until the end of his mandate. The consensus is growing on this point because of certain constitutional considerations," Moussa said.
State television in Egypt has suggested that the United States is helping fund the protests, which -- it says -- have been infiltrated by Hamas, Hezbollah, Iran and others.
The divisions within the opposition raised fears that they could work to the regime's advantage.
"The danger at the moment is that this opposition, which a few days ago seemed to unite, is now being divided," said Cairo-based analyst Issandr El Amrani. "The regime is using its tried and true tactic of divide and conquer."
CNN's Ben Wedeman, Ian Lee, Salma Abdelaziz, Saad Abedine, Amir Ahmed, Frederik Pleitgen, Caroline Faraj and Jill Dougherty contributed to this report.
View the original article here
No comments:
Post a Comment