Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Egypt prepares for the big protest today against Mubarak

The balance seems distinctly Egyptian decanted. A military spokesman said last night that the Army considers "legitimate" popular demands and not repress the revolt. Significantly, the statement was issued yesterday by the official Egyptian television on the eve of mass demonstrations planned for today in Cairo and Alexandria where it is expected that more than one million people in the street demand the resignation of President Hosni Mubarak .

The end of the pharaoh could be very close. With Internet disqualified for five days, Facebook and Twitter, tools that served to hold the first protests, has given way to less sophisticated means. All day yesterday, the youth traveled with megaphones Freedom Square, the symbolic epicenter of the revolution, calling on people to come today to the great protest when it meets the first week of revolt.

"Down with Mubarak, all against Mubarak," shouted a girl from the speaker. "Egyptian people, join us, do not let them shut up" was screaming. The organizers of the protest continued their revolution without dwelling too much on what happened in the offices, where the Egyptian political class trying to agree on how railroaded a transition that depends on the Pharaoh Hosni Mubarak leave his throne.

"They are the young who are leading this movement," explained some of the representatives of the Ghad opposition movement led by Ayman Nour. "We are uniting in a common front," said a leader of the Wafd dissident group. "It is time to be aware of who will lead the change of government," said Mohamed Waget, leader of the Socialist Revolutionaries.

"We still remain divided, you must first agree among themselves. We just want to see as many people in the streets." To achieve this, noted that the landline and cell phones that are causing problems, were the main transmitters. In response, Google announced this morning (Spanish time) has developed a tool for citizens to tweet despite the interruption of mobile communications and the Internet.

The company says, has made available to users three international phones where they can leave a voice message and the service instantly tweeting the message with the item # egypt. The three numbers to call is +390662207294 and +16504194196 or +9731699855. The day began yesterday with a call for transport strike that left without access to capital to those who come from the towns of the Nile Valley was not much confidence to the protesters who remained in the evening in the gardens of the square to return police on the streets.

"Many of us have decided to spend the night in anticipation of tomorrow trying to stop us," Mahmud claimed that with his father and two brothers hauling blankets, food and water. Both politicians and civil society now hope to repeat the success of participation that the protests have had since a week ago a riot broke out in front who wants to take 30 years of dictatorship.

"The march of a million," explains Waget, "is our goal." "We want to defeat the system," Khaled Abo abundant bard, independent trade union leader. "And for that we will get everyone on the street." The discontent of the population that is beginning to suffer the effects of shortages can affect the outcome of the call.

No money at ATMs and, hopefully, millions of employees and retirees will not be able to collect their salaries and pensions. It does not help to buy bread, the staple food of the Egyptian people, begin to be a complicated affair. In the early hours of yesterday morning, an old man carrying a huge basket of loaves was abducted by a crowd that had bread cakes twenties, without hearing the pleas of the seller to make a more equitable distribution of goods .

"It is increasingly less. If we fail on Tuesday [for now] we'll do it on Friday. We leave every day until we finish with the regime of Hosni Mubarak, "says the radical socialist Waget. Vice President of Egypt, Omar Suleiman, said yesterday that Mubarak has asked to start a dialogue with all political parties on the protesters' demands calling for constitutional and legislative reforms.

Protests "legitimate" Since the outbreak of the popular movement against the dictatorship, the hopes of the Egyptians were deposited in the Army. The soldiers are loved by the people and clearly courted by the nascent opposition political platform. They are also, however, the backbone of the regime: President Mubarak is a military man, as were the previous two presidents, Nasser and Sadat, and such as the new vice president, Omar Suleiman, and the new Prime Minister Ahmed Shafik.

This ambivalence explains the strange passivity and neutrality difficult maintained so far by the institution. The Egyptian army is both powerful and powerless. In a situation of suspense, as in the country since the collapse police Friday the military is perceived as the force capable of decanting events or pro-regime for democratization.

But more than the population respects the military, it is clear that the failure of Mubarak is also its failure. Hard to imagine a gesture of the military leadership against Mubarak, the hero of the 1973 war, if it finally decides not to leave power: the risk of division in the Army itself would be high and an internal crisis within the military would be devastating.

The signal was the clearest night so far. It did not include any criticism toward Mubarak and suggested the need to resign. However, giving a boost to protest against the president: "Your armed forces are well aware of the legitimacy of your claims, are willing to assume responsibility for the security of the nation and its citizens and assert that freedom of expression Pacific is guaranteed for all.

" Then, urged people to avoid violence and looting. If any Egyptian still afraid to participate in the marches of today run the risk of extremely violent clashes such as those reported on Friday between police and protesters, was able to stay calm. The military statement was interpreted as an invitation to go to the streets to demand an end to Mubarak.

A very different level, the statement agreed in spirit with words spoken in the morning by the commander of an armored unit stationed in central Cairo. The commander said, personally, that the military commanders were "very aware" of what happened. "Like most of my colleagues, I studied at a U.S.

military academy and speak English, watch television and read the foreign press, I know what the world expects of us and Egypt and I have my own opinions," he said. It can be assumed that the commander and the set of controls, including the veteran leadership, they knew their limitations.

Professor Ibrahim Awad, the American University in Cairo, said those limitations, "Egypt is too complex for the Army want to seize power." "One of the reasons for the failure of Mubarak and his regime is precisely that simplicity has ruled with a military that is no longer viable," said Awad.

The liberalization of the Egyptian economy and its gearing with the global economy has brought prosperity, but social and political straitjacket of the dictatorship that wealth has remained in the hands of very few and aggravate the inequalities and corruption. Democratization, according to Awad, would only be possible "by a civil grand bargain outside the Army." Since the outbreak of the revolutionary movement a week ago, the Army has played with two decks.

Has abided by the rules of a regime that is theirs, their bosses have obeyed respectfully Mubarak has ordered curfews, has been protected since the police disappeared government offices. And yet it has made a nod to the revolt, were coordinated with the demonstrators (last soldiers worked closely with organizers of the protest in the Plaza de la Libertad), has not made any effort to impose a curfew and has enjoyed the devotion shown by the people.

This balancing act could not last indefinitely. It was very difficult to keep up with the crucial day today. By ensuring the rights of protesters and described as "legitimate" their demands, ie demands the resignation of Mubarak, the Army was somewhat side with the protesters.

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