Mubarak Resigns as Head of Ruling NDP Party

[Hissyspit]

Source: Al Jazeera Live Blog

6:08pm Egyptian TV reports that Hosni Mubarak resigns as head of the ruling NDP party - more details soon.

6:00pm General Hassan El-Rawani, the head of the army's central command, speaks to the masses in Tahrir Square urging them to leave the square, they chant back at him "We are not leaving, He is leaving".

5:45pm Osama Abd Elaziz,  Al Jazeera editor, has been released from custody in Egypt.

5:36pm The leadership of Egypt's ruling National Democratic Party resigns, including Gamal Mubarak, the son of Hosni Mubarak. The new secretary general of the party is Hossam Badrawi, seen as a member of the liberal wing of the party.

Read more: http://blogs.aljazeera.net/middle-east/2011/02/04/live-blog-feb-5-egypt-protests

[ananda]

1. This of course is not enough.

So far all Mubarak has done is sugarcoating the problem, which is his
leadership and government. His entire government needs to be changed
out.

[Hissyspit]

2. Kick nt

[Tripper11]

3. Mubarak resigns as head of Egypt's ruling party

Source: CBC

President Hosni Mubarak resigned as head of Egypt's ruling National Democratic Party as massive demonstrations against the longtime ruler's regime continued for a 12th day, according to media reports citing state television.

Other top party members also stepped down, including party secretary general Safwat el-Sharif and Gamal Mubarak, the son of the president. Hossam Badrawi was named as the new secretary general.

Meanwhile, an Egyptian army commander made a direct plea for protesters to leave central Cairo's Tahrir Square on Saturday, suggesting the economic cost of their attempt to oust Mubarak is too high for the country to survive.

CBC IS THERE
Live blog from CBC journalists in Cairo. Live video (when available).

"You all have the right to express yourselves but please save what is left of Egypt," Reuters quoted Hassan al-Roweny as he addressed thousands of protesters on Saturday through a loud speaker.



Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2011/02/05/egypt.html#ixzz1D6NlNXfw

Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2011/02/05/egypt.html

[ananda]

4. Word on the street: too little too late.

Mubarak needs to be seen to resign completely even though it's Sulieman
the VP who is wielding the power now.

Sulieman is tainted too with his associations with espionage and torture.
I expect the CIA like him, though.

[Junkdrawer]

6. Yeah. It would be like Hitler Out...Himmler In....

Change but not much.

[decidedlyso]

12. Good comparison.

[IDemo]

18. Or Bush out, Cheney in

[jkappy]

21. only diff is letter M (as in murder) for letter T (as in totalitarian) n/t

[defendandprotect]

26. +1000% -- and a kick

[aquart]

5. Is this tweet true?

houssini

As 67 77 articles from Egyptian Dostoor, Mubark no longer can be president after his resignation from NDP (have no party)!!! #Jan25 #Mubark

[Inuca]

8. Technically no, I don't think so

he is still a party memeber, but not its official leader.

[Inuca]

7. Within the byzantine realm

of Egyptian politics, I am sure this is VERY significant.

[CreekDog]

10. I'm sure it's extremely significant, I'm also sure that he has just as much power as yesterday

within the byzantine realm of Middle Eastern politics. :eyes:

[Inuca]

17. I obviously cannot know for sure

but I don't think so. See also this:

Egypt's army is working with the west to remove Mubarak from power in return for keeping its influence over the country's political system, Reuters reports.

Robert Springborg, professor of national security affairs at the US Naval Postgraduate School, said the army was manipulating the situation by dragging out a resolution of the crisis.

He said the army's aim was to focus the anger of the uprising against Mubarak rather than the military.

It's political jujitsu on the part of the military to get the crowd worked up and focused on Mubarak and then he will be offered as a sacrifice in some way. And in the meantime the military is seen as the saviours of the nation.

The military will engineer a succession. The west – the US and EU – are working to that end.
We are working closely with the military … to ensure a continuation of a dominant role of the military in the society, the polity and the economy."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/blog/2011/feb/05/egypt-protests

[derby378]

9. Meet the new boss, same as the old boss

Where the hell is El-Baradei? (sp?)

[loudsue]

11. They are doing everything they can (and everything the USA can) to keep their crimes

in motion. How much more of this can the people of the world tolerate?

[decidedlyso]

15. Good question.

[IDemo]

20. Time to look forward

:banghead:

[defendandprotect]

27. US/Obama are the ones keeping Mubarak propped up -- always was, and is now!

[Leithan]

13. Not the same as resigning as President

It's not coming to me right now, but the Prime Minister of some country just resigned as party boss, while retaining the PM position for the next few months.

[go west young man]

14. They need to stay at it and throw em all out.

They will end up with the same crap scenario come September otherwise. Rigged elections with a U.S. backed henchman presiding all over again.
An economy that will be worse off with no hope for the future.

[InkAddict]

16. What's the hold up now?

Printing pressers need to get some new write-in ballots ready for distribution and use ASAP. Mr. VP - declare a date for elections. Put a ring on that square and ask candidates to come forward to toss in their hats. Purple thumbs for Egytians, NOW!

[goforit]

19. He's just drawing it out. Mubarak is so melodramatic

Just can't get off stage.

[L. Coyote]

22. This report is in dispute.

Follow developments, and please contribute breaking news:

***** EGYPT Live Blog ***** Al Jazeera English - Feb. 5 *****
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x349599

[defendandprotect]

23. And US betrays the Egyptian people with the landmine of Suleiman left behind ...

[loudsue]

24. The military/industrial/corporate government complex CANNOT afford to have a peace-maker as

the head of a country. It's just not good business for them. Keep the people of the world AFRAID of one another, hating one another's religions, and keep stealing and torturing, and you'll have war forever and ever amen. It's the hope of those in control that people will allow governments to rob them blind, and never protest, unless, of course, they can sell some guns.

[decidedlyso]

25. Exactly. Suleiman will appear to behave for a short period of time. After

that, one of his first jobs will be to round up the protesters and punish them until they have revealed all the leaders, who will be jailed, tortured, or both. Suleiman will make Mubarak look like a saint by comparison. And look at the US position. We'd better get Egyptian real soon or we won't be able to at all.

[David__77]

28. This is all being stage-managed behind the scenes.

It seems like Mubarak is taking his orders to go to obscurity and possible prosecution in a few months. I see striking parallels with East Germany in 1989: protest, new leadership face, resignations... then, constitutional changes, elections, and prosecution of the old leadership. If Mubarak were smart, from a purely self-interested perspective, he should have either fled or held firm and attempted to mobilize the armed forces. Too late now for the latter option.

I say it's stage-managed at this point, but things could easily not go as planned, especially once things get to the elections phase. Further, the constitutional changes and promise of elections may well be insufficient. Certainly, a transitional government must include all opposition forces, including MB, for it to appease people.