BICOM

In a speech yesterday, President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt announced that he was transferring power to his Vice-President, Omar Suleiman. Contrary to some predictions, however, the Egyptian president did not announce his resignation. The announcement was greeted with dismay and anger by over a million demonstrators who had gathered in Cairo’s Tahrir Square, expecting to hear that Mubarak, who has ruled Egypt for 30 years, was set to depart. In the speech, Mubarak made a series of limited concessions to the protestors. He said that he would lift emergency laws when permitted, and said that he had requested a series of six constitutional amendments, in line with one of the demands of the protestors. After the president’s speech, Omar Suleiman spoke, committing himself to a peaceful transition of power. Protestors in Tahrir Square began angry chanting after the speech, demanding the instant resignation of Mubarak and his departure from Egypt.

Protests are expected to resume again today. Friday is a day of Muslim prayer, and large crowds are expected to be on the streets. The Egyptian military’s Supreme Council, headed by Field-Marshal Hussein Tantawi, is currently meeting, and according to reports is set to issue a communiqué which will seek to meet protestors’ demands. It seems unlikely at the present time, however, that anything less than the swift departure of Mubarak will satisfy the protestors. This is a move, however, which the military seems unlikely to countenance, since it would represent a clear reversal of its will, and a humiliation. The immediate prospect, therefore, seems to be for further unrest. Meanwhile, the White House is reported to be growing impatient with the stance of the Egyptian regime. President Barack Obama issued a written statement following Mubarak’s speech which questioned whether Mubarak’s latest move was a sufficient sign of reform for a country in upheaval.