What did Suleiman EXACTLY say?
Has Mubarak resigned and left the country in the hands of the military’s Supreme Council (as al-Jazeera translated it) or is the real power still in Vice-President Suleiman’s hands?
Is Suleiman gone too?
Thanks!
Answer from Stratfor:
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Egyptian Vice President Omar Suleiman delivered the following statement Feb. 11: “In the name of God the merciful, the compassionate, citizens, during these very difficult circumstances Egypt is going through, President Hosni Mubarak has decided to step down from the office of president of the republic and has charged the high council of the armed forces to administer the affairs of the country. May God help everybody.”
Suleiman’s statement is the clearest indication thus far that the military has carried out a coup led by Defense Minister Field Marshal Mohammed Hussein Tantawi. It is not clear whether Suleiman will remain as the civilian head of the army-led government. Egypt is returning to the 1952 model of ruling the state via a council of army officers. The question now is to what extent the military elite will share power with its civilian counterparts.
At a certain point, the opposition’s euphoria will subside and demands for elections will be voiced. The United States, while supportive of the military containing the unrest, also has a strategic need to see Egypt move toward a more pluralistic system.
Whether the military stays true to its commitment to hold elections on schedule in September remains to be seen. If elections are held, however, the military must have a political vehicle in place to counter opposition forces, particularly the Muslim Brotherhood. The fate of the ruling National Democratic Party (NDP) thus lies in question. Without the NDP, the regime will have effectively collapsed and the military could run into greater difficulty in running the country. While the military council will be serving as the provisional government, it will likely want to retain as much of the ruling NDP as possible and incorporate elements of the opposition to manage the transition. Sustaining its hold over power while crafting a democratic government will be the biggest challenge for the military as it tries to avoid regime change while also dealing with a potential constitutional crisis.
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El-Baradei just said on Al-Jazeera that Egypt needs a year before elections. This will obviously give Israel and the US time to gerrymander the electoral process to guarantee an “Indonesian” solution.
Peace
@anonymous: thanks for that info:
Without the NDP, the regime will have effectively collapsed and the military could run into greater difficulty in running the country.
I cannot imagine that this party would not totally collapse now, just like the CPSU did in 1991. Don’t you also think that the NDP is now gone forever?
The euphoria over the departure of Mubarak must not distract the People of Egypt or the rest of us that this is a military coup within the military dictatorship.
The Egyptian People’s Revolution has won the battle (All PRAISE and THANKS to God!). It remains to be seen if it can win the war.
The real trial begins NOW.
Peace
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The more I think I about it: This is largely smoke and mirrors. Mubarak is STILL in the country, in his resort, with enormous behind-the-scenes influence.
I’m afraid that, without effective leadership, this Revolution will be coopted. The counter-revolution is just gearing up …
Peace
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Don’t you also think that the NDP is now gone forever?
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Under that name, perhaps. But the military is so deeply ingrained in every facet of the economy etc that I doubt it the NDP can be effectively dismantled completely without the revolution taking its full course. Hence there is already talk — from Baradei no less — about postponing the elections for a year.
Soliman is out out out!
Happily, the regime and its American backers have screwed things up totally: Mubarak only resigned when masses started surrounding Faruk’s palace in Alexandria. I say: don’t worry, be happy!
And if you want to weep with joy, then watch this video. And if you already have, then watch it again:
Asmaa Mahfouz.
Stratfor is CIA disinformation wall to wall, Texas funded and Texas based. No credibility whatsoever should be accorded to Stratfor, it’s like Sorcha Faal & Debkafile….
the military’s 3rd communique was good. it made sense. froom the looks of it, they dont want to hold power but to genuinely transfer the power back to the people.