Cairo, July 22: Egyptian protesters continue camping out in Cairo’s Liberation Square, calling for faster political reforms and an end to military rule in the North African country.
Revolutionary activists in Egypt have kept protesting in Cairo and threatened not to leave their tents until the ruling military council gives up power and a democratically elected civilian government is formed.
Protesters have also called on the military council to remove members of the ousted President Hosni Mubarak’s regime from the government and bring them to justice.
On Feb. 11, 2011, after 18 days of anti-government demonstrations, Egyptian Vice President Omar Suleiman announced on TV that Mubarak has officially resigned and assigned power to the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces.
The ruling council is headed by Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi.
Tensions have been running high in Egypt mainly due to the army’s reluctance to take effective action against the country’s former regime officials who face allegations of corruption and the use of violence against dissidents.
Meanwhile, Egypt’s new cabinet was sworn in on Thursday despite continued demonstrations by revolutionaries who say it includes ministers with links to the Mubarak family.
Half of the ministers in Prime Minister Essam Sharaf’s newly reshuffled cabinet are those who have served under Mubarak’s regime.
Among them are Abdel Aziz al-Gindi, the justice minister who has been accused of delaying trials of former regime officials, including Mubarak, and Mansur Essawy, the interior minister.
“Of course this is entirely insufficient. He [Tantawi] should start to choose ministers who express the will of the revolutionaries, who are protesting here, who have demands which so far have not been fulfilled at all,” a protester said.
Protesters have called for a massive rally on Friday, dubbing it the “Decisive Friday,” after the cabinet reshuffle’s failure to meet their revolutionary demands.
They also slammed foreign interference in Egypt’s internal affairs, as the US and Israel have been trying to hijack the Egyptian revolution and consolidate their position in the country as the real decision-makers.
——Agencies