Murbarak Resigns

[Selene]

Mubarak has resigned.

Mubarak resigns, hands power to military

Play Video AP – More Egypt protests as army backs Mubarak

• Slideshow:Anti-government protests in Egypt
• Play Video Video:Egypt protesters target palace Reuters
• Play Video Video:Egypt revolt set to flare as Mubarak clings to power AFP

AP – Anti-government protesters, and Egyptian soldiers on top of their vehicles, make traditional Muslim Friday … By PAUL SCHEMM and MAGGIE MICHAEL, Associated Press Paul Schemm And Maggie Michael, Associated Press – 2 mins ago CAIRO – Egypt's Hosni Mubarak resigned as president and handed control to the military on Friday, bowing down after a historic 18-day wave of pro-democracy demonstrations by hundreds of thousands.

A massive crowd in Cairo's central Tahrir Square exploded into joy, waving Egyptian flags, and car horns and celebratory shots in the air were heard around the city of 18 million in joy after Vice President Omar Suleiman made the announcement on national TV just after nightfall.

"In these grave circumstances that the country is passing through, President Hosni Mubarak has decided to leave his position as president of the republic," a grim-looking Suleiman said. "He has mandated the Armed Forces Supreme Council to run the state. God is our protector and succor."

Nobel Peace laureate Mohammed ElBaradei, whose young suporters were among the organizers of the protest movement, told The Associated Press, "This is the greatest day of my life."

"The country has been liberated after decades of repression," he said adding that he expects a "beautiful" transition of power.

**** keep your eye on Sami Anan as the real power behind this coup

Edited February 11, 2011 by Selene

[Michael Stuart Kelly]

Let's see what the military does.

It's a good idea to be cautious in judgment right now.

Michael

[DavidMcK]

It is much easier to unite people against something (or someone) than to get on the same page for an idea (or someone who represents an idea). Now Egyptians have to figure out what should be the next step.

[william.scherk]

It is much easier to unite people against something (or someone) than to get on the same page for an idea (or someone who represents an idea). Now Egyptians have to figure out what should be the next step.

I would say that have figured out the first fifteen steps.

Revise the Constitution Articles 76, 77, 88, 93, 181, and 189. Annul Article 179. End administrative practices that harry independent media. End the dominance of the NDP over the judiciary. End NDP dominance of state media. End emergency detentions. End emergency courts. End torture in military and civil prisons. End harassment of civil society organs. Release political prisoners.

David, these things have been figured out. What remains to be seen is how and when and in what order the Supreme Military Council lives up to its word to implement every single one of these steps.

[DavidMcK]

Sounds like a good plan, maybe they need to come here and implement some of the same ideas.

[kiaer.ts]

Yes, I am withholding judgment right now for fear of the likely consequences should I form or express an opinion.

[william.scherk]

Sounds like a good plan, maybe they need to come here and implement some of the same ideas.

Where do you live, if you don't mind me asking, and if telling doesn't mean the secret police with drag you off.

I have been searching for some kind of official reaction from Cuba, Belarus, North Korea and Libya.

[sbeaulieu]

I have been searching for some kind of official reaction from Cuba, Belarus, North Korea and Libya.

With regard to Egypt, or their own countries? I read that Cuba's been keeping an eye on their population as there are dissenting voices on the internet. This predates Egypt's protests.

~ Shane

[william.scherk]

I have been searching for some kind of official reaction from Cuba, Belarus, North Korea and Libya.

With regard to Egypt, or their own countries?

Egypt. How can that kind of revolution be spun so that the readers don't think, "well, yeah, but who elected you, dude?"

[DavidMcK]

I live in the U.S., was exaggerating (I hope).

[william.scherk]

It is much easier to unite people against something (or someone) than to get on the same page for an idea (or someone who represents an idea). Now Egyptians have to figure out what should be the next step.

I would say that have figured out the first fifteen steps.

Revise the Constitution Articles 76, 77, 88, 93, 181, and 189. Annul Article 179. End administrative practices that harry independent media. End the dominance of the NDP over the judiciary. End NDP dominance of state media. End emergency detentions. End emergency courts. End torture in military and civil prisons. End harassment of civil society organs. Release political prisoners.

David, these things have been figured out. What remains to be seen is how and when and in what order the Supreme Military Council lives up to its word to implement every single one of these steps.

An update on the order of the Military changes. Aparrently, the particular revisions to the Constitution I noted above are currently being drafted by a committee of jurists (see report from Egyptian media below).

Emergency law in place, though no arrests or detentions or disappearances have been reported since the coup. Numerous reports have appeared in Egyptian media calling on the state to name and locate all those detained during but not released since the unrest -- hard to say if this situation will move quickly. The fake 'reformist' cabinet is still in charge, but has vacancies; at the same time assets have been seized, and daily calls for transparency in official corruption proceedings are being made.

From a distance, it looks like a lid has been lifted, and that intense scrutiny is underway by civil organizatons, the press -- everyone with a mouth has opened it and found an outlet for their opinions, without censors fretting over the details.

The security forces of the Interior ministry have reported huge gaps in their membership, and I have seen two reports that quote cops saying they were ordered to repress during the uprising, that official sanction had been given for shakedowns/baksheesh. They have demonstrated for pay raises!

Independent media are still subject to the law/practices of the old regime, but again, it looks like the lid has been lifted -- there have been no reports of any pressure/detentions/arrests, etcetera. It looks like there are current 'mini-revolutions' in several of the State Media outlets, as with newspapers whose editors are government appointed.

It looks like a ramshackle, rambunctious period of reckoning is ahead now that repression has been lifted de facto if not de jure.

I am cynical with a drop of optimism for the next few months.

Army-appointed constitutional committee fails to please everyone

The Egyptian military’s decision to form a committee to amend specific articles of the 1971 constitution has raised concerns about both the committee's mandate and its composition.

The eight-member committee held its first meeting on Tuesday to discuss possible ways of amending six articles of the national charter. It is expected to draft the constitutional amendments by 25 February, paving the way for more democratic reforms long demanded by the opposition.

In a move aimed at expediting procedures for the transfer of authority, Egypt's Supreme Armed Forces Council declared that a nationwide referendum on the amendments could be held as early as April.

The current Egyptian constitution was written during Anwar Sadat's presidency, and has been amended three times since then--in 1980, in 2005 and in 2007. This constitution served to consolidate power in the hands of the presidency at the expense of all other branches of government.

Egypt’s current military rulers have proposed the amendment of constitutional articles 76, 77, 88, 93, 179 and 189. The Supreme Armed Forces Council also said that other constitutional articles could be changed in order to allow fair and democratic presidential and parliamentary elections.

Article 76 pertains to candidacy requirements for presidential elections; Article 77 stipulates the number of terms allowed for the president to stay in office; Article 88 pertains to electoral oversight; Article 93 pertains to parliament’s authority to determine the validity of its membership; Article 179 allows the state to curtail certain freedoms guaranteed by other articles under the pretext of combating terrorism; and Article 189 states the conditions required for amending the constitution.

[DavidMcK]

It is interesting that the revolution has spread like wildfire in the Mideast; everyone seem inspired in a positive way by this. I would describe my attitude as optimistic with a dose of pessimism.

[william.scherk]

It is interesting that the revolution has spread like wildfire in the Mideast; everyone seem inspired in a positive way by this. I would describe my attitude as optimistic with a dose of pessimism.

Thanks for the feedback -- I wondered if you might be reading this thread, so I posted that rambling update in hopes you were.

We are generally like spectators or like fans at this distance . . . and it is hard to figure out what is happening on the field, so to speak. I get the impression that a lot of commentators or newsheads want to call the game or have already called the game . . .