Egypt’s new military leadership has pledged to support the current government until elections take place and uphold its international treaties, in an implicit reassurance to Israel and the West that it will not revoke its 1979 peace treaty with Israel.
In a statement yesterday, a spokesman for the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces said it would keep the government and its provincial governors, installed by ousted president Hosni Mubarak, intact until a new government is formed. T
he step appears to be a stop-gap measure to keep the state and economy functioning, while a transitional administration is set up.
The military was “looking forward to a peaceful transition, for a free democratic system, to permit an elected civil authority to be in charge of the country, to build a democratic free nation,” the military spokesman said.
Current and former government officials are banned by the military from travelling abroad without permission. Sources said Information Minister Anas Al Fiqi has been placed under house arrest.
List of demands
Protesters have called for dramatic steps to ensure Egypt moved to a real democracy after nearly 30 years of autocratic rule under Mubarak and his ruling party.
They have called for the dissolving of parliament — almost entirely made up of ruling party lawmakers — the formation of a new, broad-based transitional government and creation of a committee to either amend or completely re-write the constitution.
Listing its demands at a press conference, they also called for the scrapping of emergency laws.
The youth and opposition groups said they will end protests, but warned of weekly demonstrations to maintain pressure to implement reforms.
Some protesters said they will form a council to defend the revolution and negotiate with the military.
“The purpose of the Council of Trustees is to hold dialogue with the Higher Military Council and to carry the revolution forward through the transitional phase,” Khalid Abdul Qader Ouda, an academic, told reporters in Tahrir Square.
The council would have about 20 members, including protesters, prominent persons and leaders from various fields, he said.
Ouda said the council would call for a mass turnout on Friday to celebrate the success.
Meanwhile, jubilation swept across Egypt as people continued to celebrate, following Friday’s announcement of Mubarak’s resignation.
Life was slowly starting to return to normal as Egypt’s state television reported that the military had ordered the night curfew relaxed. It will now start at midnight and end at 6am.
Saudi Arabia, who initially defended Mubarak, welcomed the “peaceful transition of power” and hoped for “the armed forces to bring peace and stability”, Saudi Press Agency said.