Egypt Protests: Thousands Fill Tahrir Square In Cairo For Anti-Military Demonstration

Two articles on Egyptian unrest.

Egypt Protests: Thousands Fill Tahrir Square In Cairo For Anti-Military Demonstration

By SARAH EL DEEB

11/25/11 09:03 AM ET

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/25/egypt-protests-tahrir-square_n_1112642.html

CAIRO — Egypt’s military rulers picked a prime minister from ousted leader Hosni Mubarak’s era to head the next government, according to state television, a choice that will almost certainly intensify criticism by tens of thousands of protesters accusing the generals of trying to extend the old guard and demanding they step down immediately.

Kamal el-Ganzouri, 78, served as prime minister between 1996 and 1999 and was deputy prime minister and planning minister before that. He also was a provincial governor under the late President Anwar Sadat.

The Obama administration, meanwhile, appeared to bring its position on the crisis in Egypt closer to the protesters’ demands, urging the generals to fully empower the next interim civilian government and quickly transfer power to an elected administration.

“We believe that Egypt’s transition to democracy must continue, with elections proceeding expeditiously, and all necessary measures taken to ensure security and prevent intimidation,” The White House said in a statement. “Most importantly, we believe that the full transfer of power to a civilian government must take place in a just and inclusive manner that responds to the legitimate aspirations of the Egyptian people, as soon as possible.”

The announcement about the prime minister followed a meeting late Thursday between el-Ganzouri and senior military ruler Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi. Tantawi was Mubarak’s defense minister of 20 years and served in the government headed by el-Ganzouri.

“Illegitimate, illegitimate!” chanted the crowds at Cairo’s Tahrir Square on hearing news of el-Ganzouri’s appointment.

“Not only was he prime minister under Mubarak, but also part of the old regime for a total of 18 years,” said protester Mohammed el-Fayoumi, 29. “Why did we have a revolution then?”

El-Ganzouri will replace Essam Sharaf, who resigned this week after nearly nine months in office amid deadly clashes between police and protesters calling for the military to immediately step down.

Sharaf was criticized for being weak and beholden to the generals. The television announcement said el-Ganzouri will enjoy “authority,” but did not elaborate.

“Ganzouri is a new Sharaf. He’s old regime,” said Nayer Mustafa, 62. “The revolution was hijacked once. We won’t let it happen again.”

The military has said parliamentary elections, the first since Mubarak’s ouster, will be held on schedule despite the unrest in Cairo and a string of other cities to the north and south of the capital. Voting starts Monday and concludes in March, meaning that el-Ganzouri could be prime minister only until a new government is formed following the seating of a new legislature.

There was no word on whether el-Ganzouri accepted the mandate given to him by Tantawi, but an announcement on his selection for the job would not have been made if he had not.

El-Ganzouri’s appointment was likely to deepen the anger of the protesters, already seething over the military’s perceived reluctance to dismantle the legacy of Mubarak’s 29-year rule.

Protesters chanting, “Leave, leave!” filled up the downtown square on Friday for what has been dubbed by organizers as “The Last Chance Million-Man Protest” aimed at forcing the military council to yield power.

Pro-reform leader and Nobel peace laureate Mohamed ElBaradei was mobbed by hundreds of supporters as he arrived in the square and took part in Friday prayers, leaving shortly afterward.

“He is here to support the revolutionaries,” said protester Ahmed Awad, 35. “He came to see for himself the tragedy caused by the military.”

Swelling crowds of demonstrators chanted, “The people want to bring down the marshal”, in reference to Tantawi, who took over the reins of power from Mubarak.

The rally comes one day after the military offered an apology for the killing of nearly 40 protesters in five days of deadly clashes, mostly centered around the square. This was the longest spate of uninterrupted violence since the 18-day uprising that toppled Mubarak on Feb. 11. The streets were relatively calm on Friday as a truce negotiated Thursday in Cairo continued to hold.

Protesters in Cairo’s Tahrir Square – angry at the military for failing to stabilize the country, salvage the economy or bring democracy – say they will not leave the sprawling plaza until the generals step down in favor of a civilian presidential council. Their show of resolve resembles that of the rallies which forced Mubarak to give up power.

About 5,000 supporters of the military staged their own demonstration several miles (kilometers) north of Tahrir in the district of Abbassiyah, not far from the Defense Ministry.

The military has rejected calls to immediately step down, saying its claim to power is supported by the warm welcome given to troops who took over the streets from the discredited police early in the anti-Mubarak uprising as well as an overwhelming endorsement for constitutional amendments they proposed in a March referendum.

Tantawi has offered another referendum on whether his military council should step down immediately.

Such a vote, activists say, would divide the nation and likely open the door for a deal between the military and political groups, particularly the Muslim Brotherhood. Egypt’s largest and best organized group, the Brotherhood is notorious for its opportunism and thirst for power. It was empowered after the fall of Mubarak, regaining legitimacy after spending nearly 60 years as an outlawed group.

Egypt protests: Mass rally in Cairo ahead of election

25 November 2011

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-15884523

Lyse Doucet in Cairo: “They are very sceptical about any moves to put a new government in place”

Tens of thousands of protesters have packed into central Cairo’s Tahrir Square to demand that Egypt’s military rulers step aside.

The demonstrators want the postponement of elections due to start on Monday.

Prime Minister-designate Kamal Ganzouri has said he will not form a new cabinet until after the polls.

The latest wave of protests has led to the worst violence since the fall of President Hosni Mubarak in February. More than 40 people have been killed.

The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (Scaf) is overseeing a transition to civilian rule.

Despite promises by the council to speed up the process, some protesters fear it intends to cling to power. They want military rule to end before parliamentary elections are held.

Yet many Egyptians want the polls to go ahead as planned. One influential group, the Muslim Brotherhood – which is expected to do well in the vote – is not supporting the Tahrir Square protests.

A large rival demonstration in favour of the elections is taking place near the interior ministry building, with people there chanting that they are the “real Egypt”.

In Washington, the White House said power in Egypt should be transferred to civilians “as soon as possible”.

“The United States strongly believes that the new Egyptian government must be empowered with real authority immediately,” a White House statement said.

Sunni Islam’s highest authority, the grand imam of Cairo’s al-Azhar mosque, sent the protesters a rare message of support. An aide, Hassan Shafie, was shown on local TV telling the crowd on Tahrir Square: “The grand imam backs you and is praying for your victory.”

‘Last chance’

The Tahrir Square rally follows Friday prayers as well as a week of protests.

Tens of thousands have converged on the square to take part in what organisers call a “last chance Friday” rally demanding an immediate transfer of power.

Nominee Egyptian Prime Minister Kamal Ganzouri: “I agreed to serve the people because I am one of them”

The imam leading the main Friday prayers in Cairo called on the military to hand over power, and said demonstrators would remain in the square until their demands were met, AFP news agency reported.

In his first public statement since being named, Mr Ganzouri said he was sure that Scaf leader Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi had no desire to stay in power, saying that otherwise, he would not have agreed to become prime minister.

Mr Ganzouri, who headed Egypt’s government from 1996 to 1999 under Mr Mubarak, said he had been granted greater powers than his predecessors but had not yet begun assembling his ministerial team, although it would be formed within the coming days.

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

Mr Ganzouri’s appointment has been heavily criticised by many protesters.

“For the second time, we are going to depend upon the old guard of Mubarak’s regime. Why do we not give chance for the young, instead of those people who are 80 years old?” one man in Cairo’s Tahrir Square, Suhir Nadim, told Reuters news agency.

“Appointing Ganzouri is a crisis for the revolution. We must remain in Tahrir,” another protester, 44-year-old Hossam Amer, told Reuters.

“Start Quote

Egypt’s slow-motion revolution has taken a confusing turn – in which no-one is quite playing the role you would expect”

Kevin Connolly BBC Middle East correspondent

• Egypt divided ahead of crucial elections

On Tuesday, the head of Scaf, Field Marshal Tantawi, accepted the resignation of the previous military-backed civilian cabinet and announced that presidential elections would be held by June 2012 – six months earlier than planned.

The military council has apologised for the deaths of protesters, but insisted that parliamentary polls would start on Monday as scheduled.

The Egyptian Independent Trade Union Federation called for a march to Tahrir Square, while another labour rights group called for a general strike to back the protests.

Much of the recent violence has taken place in a street leading from Tahrir Square to the interior ministry. Soldiers have now set up barricades of cement, metal bars and barbed wire to separate protesters and security forces.

Mr Ganzouri, who distanced himself from Mr Mubarak’s regime, has been suggested as a possible presidential candidate.

During his term as prime minister, he was known as the “minister of the poor” because he was seen as representing the less well-off, and he remains popular with many Egyptians, says the BBC’s Yolande Knell, in Cairo.

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