BICOM

Following the announcement on Friday of the resignation of President Hosni Mubarak, the Egyptian military has moved to assert its control. On Sunday, Egypt’s military leaders dissolved parliament and suspended the constitution. The armed forces council is also set to ban strikes and has given no clear timetable for the holding of elections or the drawing up of a new constitution, beyond saying that the military would hold power for ‘about six months’. Organisers of the protests have called for a ‘victory march’ on Friday, in what is being seen as an attempt by protestors to maintain some pressure on the military, and to dispel any suggestions that Egyptians will simply return to the routine of life under authoritarian rule.

The major questions immediately on the agenda are the formation of a committee for drawing up a new constitution, and the make-up and authority of such a committee. Much uncertainty remains, particularly regarding the extent of influence that the military will seek to exert long-term on the political life of post-Mubarak Egypt.