Egypt protesters stay in square

25 January 2012 Last updated at 17:14 ET

Thousands of people remained in the square as night fell

Thousands of Egyptians have remained in Cairo's Tahrir Square after a rally marking the anniversary of the uprising which toppled President Hosni Mubarak.

Some have vowed to stay until another rally planned for Friday, news agencies reported.

Many of the protesters are demanding a speedy handover of power from the interim military authorities.

Others are urging patience and celebrating the success of Islamist parties in post-Mubarak elections.

The Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) of the Muslim Brotherhood - banned under Mr Mubarak - holds the largest number of seats in the newly elected parliament, although this does not mean it will be invited to form a government.

Large rallies were also reported in Suez, several parts of the Nile delta, and in the Sinai peninsula.

Mr Mubarak, who fled the capital after less than three weeks of protests, has since been put on trial accused of ordering the killing of demonstrators. He denies the charges.

'Goals not met'

The BBC's Jon Leyne, in Cairo, says the mood at the anniversary rally in Tahrir Square has been peaceful, resembling more a huge street party than a political protest.

The various groups are all competing to claim ownership of the revolution, he says, from the youth movement which began the protests a year ago, to the Muslim Brotherhood, and the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (Scaf), which took power last February after Mr Mubarak stepped down.

Many of the protesters demanded an immediate handover of power.

"I am not here to celebrate. I am here for a second revolution," said unemployed Attiya Mohammed Attiya. "The military council is made of remnants of the Mubarak regime. We will only succeed when we remove them from power."

Chef Hala Rashad told AFP: "We will keep going to Tahrir to push for the goals of the revolution, no matter what.

"The military council has done nothing. They are behaving just like the old regime. We have not received our rights and the country is a mess."

Other groups chanted "Down with military rule" and "Revolution until victory, revolution in all of Egypt's streets".

But supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood said the protests should end and the new leaders be given time to move Egypt forward.

Teacher Alaa Mohammed said the military council had overseen the "cleanest elections ever" and protected the revolution.

Others said they had turned out to remember the more than 850 people killed during the Tahrir Square protests.

"We should not forget that there was bloodshed here. This is not a celebration, but it is a big event to send our condolences to our brothers who passed away between the 25th of last January and now," said Walid Saad.

'Thuggery'

On Tuesday, Scaf chairman Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi said the state of emergency, which has been in place in Egypt almost continuously since 1967, was to be lifted.

But Field Marshall Tantawi said the law would still be applied in cases of "thuggery", without giving any details.

The military has used the term "thugs" to justify the crackdown on people demanding a return to civilian rule.

An end to the much-hated law had been a key demand of the protesters. During his nearly 30 years in power, Mr Mubarak had repeatedly promised to lift the decree and then failed to do so.

Last year, the generals widened the scope of the emergency law to include labour strikes, traffic disruption and spreading false information.

The military council has also announced that more than 1,900 prisoners have been pardoned by Field Marshall Tantawi - they reportedly include prominent blogger Michael Nabil, who was jailed for insulting the armed forces.

Continue Reading... Labels: Egypt, protesters, square

Egypt to vote in third round poll

2 January 2012 Last updated at 23:27 ET

Supporters of the Egyptian Social Democratic party have called for human rights to be respected

Egyptian voters are to take part in the third and final round of elections to the lower house of parliament.

People will head to the polls in nine provinces of the country - including the Nile Delta, the south and the tourist resorts of South Sinai - with voting taking place over several days.

The country's complex parliamentary poll is taking place in three stages and over three months.

Islamists are expected to dominate this first democratic poll in 60 years.

Tuesday and Wednesday's voters represent the last 15 million voters to cast their ballots in the first parliamentary polls since the overthrow of Hosni Mubarak last February.

Egypt's Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, which took power when Hosni Mubarak was ousted, has repeatedly pointed to the elections as proof of its plan to hand the reins to a civilian government.

But the third round takes place just days after authorities raided the offices of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in the capital, Cairo.

Several US-funded groups seeking to promote democracy and political participation were among those targeted, with laptops and documents seized and employees questioned.

The interim government said the raids were part of a probe into illegal foreign funding of political parties. Its actions have been condemned by the United Nations, the US and rights groups.

The US-funded International Republican Institute (IRI) - one of the groups targeted - said it had been invited to monitor the election.

In the first two rounds, an unprecedented number of people voted, with turnout estimated at 62%.

Egypt's voting system is highly complex, with two-thirds of the 498 elected seats being decided by proportional representation and the rest by a first-past-the-post system.

The powerful Muslim Brotherhood, the country's best organised political movement is widely expected to triumph and has claimed the lead through its political arm, the Freedom and Justice Party (FJP).

Continue Reading... Labels: Egypt, round, third

Egypt police clash with activists

26 November 2011 Last updated at 10:34 ET

Violence flared on Saturday morning as protesters and police clashed

Sporadic clashes have erupted between police and protesters in Cairo as rallies continue against the military two days before polls begin.

At least one protester died after being run over an army vehicle, reports say - the first fatality since a truce on Thursday calmed violence.

On Friday, tens of thousands occupied Tahrir Square, as the nominated prime minister asked to be given a chance.

Meanwhile, the country's military chief has met key presidential candidates.

Field Marshall Mohamed Hussein Tantawi held talks with leading political figures Mohamed ElBaradei and Amr Moussa to discuss the political crisis, according to the official Mena news agency.

The recent unrest has cast a shadow over elections, which are due to begin Monday.

The polls, which take place over three months, are the first since the fall of former President Hosni Mubarak in February.

'Molotov cocktails'

Clashes broke out as protesters tried to block an entrance to a government building to prevent Prime Minister-designate Kamal Ganzouri gaining access.

The Interior Ministry said an army vehicle had accidentally hit 21-year-old Ahmed Sayed after the driver panicked during a confrontation with protesters.

The account was backed by a protester who spoke to AFP news agency after witnessing the incident.

"It wasn't deliberate. They (police) were retreating quickly because (protesters) were throwing rocks and Molotov cocktails at them," he told AFP.

Hundreds of demonstrators remain in the city's Tahrir Square, calling for military rule to end before parliamentary elections are held.

Protesters fear the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (Scaf) - which is overseeing the transition to democratic rule - is trying to retain power.

In a TV address on Friday, Mr Ganzouri appealed to Egyptians to "give him a chance".

Mr Ganzouri - a former primer minister appointed by the military on Thursday - told Egyptians that he would not have accepted his post if he believed Field Marshal Tantawi wanted to stay in his post.

He promised to form an all-inclusive cabinet to serve the people of Egypt, but said it would not be done until after elections.

Until then, he said former Prime Minister Essam Sharaf, who resigned following the violence earlier this week, would remain in office.

A counter-rally is also being held, with protesters expressing support for the country's interim military rulers and chanting that they represent the real Egypt.

More than 40 people were killed earlier this week as the security forces tried to break up the massive protests, leading to the worst violence since the fall of Mubarak.

Monday marks mark the first step of an election timetable which lasts until March 2012 and covers two houses of parliament.

The elections will take place in stages around the country - each stage has reportedly been extended to two days.

Are you in Egypt? Are you planning to take part in the mass rallies later? What do you think about ex-Prime Minister Kamal Ganzouri? Send us your comments and experiences.

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Continue Reading... Labels: activists, clash, Egypt, police

Egypt power transfer 'speeded up'

22 November 2011 Last updated at 14:14 ET

Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi: "We do not seek power"

Egypt's military rulers have agreed to speed up presidential elections, a key demand of protesters packing Cairo's Tahrir Square.

Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi said on national TV they would happen by July 2012.

He said parliamentary elections due next week would go ahead and that a referendum on an immediate transfer of power would be organised if necessary.

It follows days of protests in Cairo's Tahrir Square over the pace of reform.

Tens of thousands of people continued to pack Tahrir Square on Tuesday evening.

Witnesses said many appeared to reject the military's latest concessions, chanting: "We are not leaving, he (Tantawi) leaves."

The US, in its strongest comments yet on the renewed unrest in Egypt, condemned the use of "excess" force by police. At least 28 people have been killed and hundreds injured since Saturday.

US State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland called on Egyptian authorities to "exercise maximum restraint".

Next week's parliamentary elections are due to set in train a process of transition to democracy following the toppling of President Hosni Mubarak in February.

But many Egyptians fear the military intends to hold on to power, whatever the outcome of the polls.

Under the military's original timetable, presidential elections might not have happened until 2013.

The BBC's Kevin Connolly in Cairo says the army's readiness to bring forward presidential elections appears to be a major concession.

Field Marshal Tantawi, head of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, said that the military was only there to protect the people and did not seek permanent power.

"The armed forces, represented by their Supreme Council, do not aspire to govern and put the supreme interest of the country above all considerations," he said.

"They are fully prepared to immediately hand over power and to return to their original duty in protecting the homeland if that what they people want, through a popular referendum if necessary."

Salvation government

His announcement followed a day of crisis talks between the military and political leaders.

As the talks took place, Prime Minister Essam Sharaf spoke briefly to reporters and pleaded for calm.

"All I ask of the people is that they leave, calm down. We have responded to what they wanted. We were so close to our main goal which is the elections. This is what is important, the political shift," he said.

As night fell in Cairo on Tuesday, the sirens of ambulances carrying wounded protesters to hospital wailed across Tahrir Square.

The square was the focal point for protests that toppled President Mubarak.

Much of Tuesday's violence took place in the streets leading between the square and the interior ministry building, witnesses say.

One protester near the ministry was seen hanging an effigy of Field Marshal Tantawi from a traffic light.

Parliamentary elections that begin next week will be staggered over three months.

They were cast in doubt after days of protests and by the offer by the military-appointed civilian cabinet, led by Prime Minister Essam Sharaf, to resign.

The military's original timetable called for the new parliament to then choose a 100-member constituent assembly to draw up a new constitution within six months.

A referendum would then approve the document before a presidential election is held. That would mean the military still in power until late 2012 or early 2013.

Protesters, however, had demanded the presidential vote take place after the parliamentary elections.

Continue Reading... Labels: 'speeded, Egypt, power, transfer

Egypt cabinet offers resignation

21 November 2011 Last updated at 17:45 ET

BBC's Lyse Doucet in Tahrir Square: "The anger that has been mounting for many months has now boiled over"

Egypt's cabinet has offered to resign after three days of protests against the country's military rulers, state media have reported.

Cabinet spokesman Mohammed Hegazy said the resignation had not yet been accepted by the military council.

As he spoke, thousands of people swelled crowds of protesters in Cairo's Tahrir Square.

More than 20 people have been killed and nearly 1,800 injured in three days of violence in the Egyptian capital.

A tense stand-off was taking shape in Tahrir Square, where tens of thousands of protesters remained in the square late into the night, and ambulances with sirens wailing ferried the injured to hospital.

Egyptian activist groups have been demanding the military council hand power to a civilian government.

"The government of Prime Minister Essam Sharaf has handed its resignation to the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces," cabinet spokesman Mohammed Hegazy said in a statement carried by the official Mena news agency.

"Owing to the difficult circumstances the country is going through, the government will continue working (until the resignation is accepted)."

A military source has told the BBC that the council is meeting now to discuss the cabinet's offer, but there is still no consensus on whether to accept it. The same source said that the council was also consulting other political groups.

The BBC's Yolande Knell in Cairo says the crowds in Tahrir Square cheered and shouted "God is great" when they heard news that the cabinet had submitted its resignation.

However they soon resumed an earlier chant "the people want the removal of the marshal" - a reference to Field Marshal Mohamed Tantawi, who heads the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces.

The ruling generals are the real focus of demonstrators' anger, she adds. The interim cabinet is seen as having little power.

Our correspondent says several thousand people remain in Tahrir Square and many plan to spend the night.

Protests are also being reported in other Egyptian cities, including in Alexandria where police are said to have fired tear gar to protect the offices of the security forces.

US 'concern'

As night fell in Cairo, thousands more flocked to the symbolic square - the focal point of protests that overthrew Hosni Mubarak in February.

Medics told the BBC they were seeing people injured by tear gas and rubber bullets.

Field Marshal Tantawi has the task of overseeing the country's transition to democracy after three decades of autocratic rule under ousted President Hosni Mubarak.

Elections are due to begin across Egypt next week but many Egyptians fear the military plans to hold on to the reins of power, whatever the outcome.

Late on Monday, a coalition of political groups - including followers of opposition figure Mohamed El Baradei - accused the military council of leading a "counter-revolution".

They called for a mass demonstration in Tahrir Square on Tuesday.

In a Facebook page for the rally, the groups called for the resignation of Prime Minister Essam Sharaf's cabinet and the formation of a "national salvation" government.

They also demanded a presidential election be held by April 2012.

As the violence and tension escalated the US called for restraint on all sides. "We're deeply concerned about the violence," said White House spokesman Jay Carney.

Earlier on Monday protesters set up burning barricades in and around the square and threw stones at riot police and troops.

Security forces responded with batons, tear gas and birdshot.

Officials confirmed on Monday that more than 20 people had been killed and about 1,800 injured since Saturday.

One of the protesters in Cairo, Ahmed Imam, 33, said handing power to the military after the overthrow of Mr Mubarak had been a mistake.

Protesters fought running street battles with riot police and troops

"We should not have left the streets. We handed power to the military on a silver platter," he said.

"The revolutionaries went home too soon. We collected the spoils and left before the battle was over."

In other developments

• Culture minister Emad Abu Ghazi resigned in protest at the government response and 25 Egyptian political parties called for the ministers of information and the interior to be sacked over the violence

• A group of senior Egyptian diplomats condemned the way the protests had been handled and demanded an immediate halt to attacks on protesters

• Amr Moussa, former secretary-general of the Arab League and now a presidential candidate in Egypt, said the use of force against the protesters could not be justified

Trouble started on Saturday after demonstrations against proposed constitutional changes unveiled by the interim government.

The military council produced a draft document setting out principles for a new constitution, under which the military and its budget could be exempted from civilian oversight.

A proposal by the military to delay the presidential election until late 2012 or early 2013 has further angered the opposition.

Protesters want the presidential vote to take place after parliamentary elections, which begin on 28 November and will be staggered over the next three months.

Continue Reading... Labels: cabinet, Egypt, offers, resignation