EGYPTIAN PRESIDENT Hosni Mubarak has said he would like to resign following massive public protests, but fears there would be chaos if he did so.
“I am fed up. After 62 years in public service, I have had enough. I want to go,” President Mubarak said yesterday in an interview with ABC television. “If I resign today there will be chaos.”
The sound of gunfire was again heard in the centre of Cairo where thousands calling for the resignation of the president are battling armed loyalists seeking to occupy Tahrir Square. During the afternoon there were skirmishes among protesters for possession of flyovers about 500m (1,600ft) from the back wall of the Egyptian museum at one end of the square. Troops in tanks intervened during the morning when Mubarak loyalists attempted to reach the square from various directions.
At least 13 people have been killed and 1,200 wounded since Wednesday evening.
The Department of Foreign Affairs has warned Irish citizens to be extremely careful and avoid demonstrations and clashes, particularly following Muslim communal prayers. Since the protests began 400 Irish citizens have received assistance from the Irish Embassy and 300 have returned home. Another 25 Irish citizens wish to leave, 60 wish to remain and 15 do not require assistance.
Protest organisers have urged supporters to rally in all Egyptian cities and towns today after noon prayers to stage the most massive demonstrations yet since the people power movement began. More than a million took part in countrywide rallies and marches on Tuesday.
In an attempt to appease the protesters the authorities issued a travel ban and froze assets belonging to former interior minister Habib al- Adly, who ordered the crackdown on demonstrators last weekend. Similar measures were also taken against the unpopular ex-housing and tourism ministers who are part of the clique surrounding the president.
Vice-president Omar Suleiman, a possible interim successor to Mr Mubarak, announced that the president’s son, Gamal, would not stand in the election scheduled for September. He pledged amendment of the constitution to meet protester demands and also said detained demonstrators would be released and troublemakers punished.
But his words appeared to have no effect on the hard men roaming the streets with staves and whips.
Looting and arson attacks have escalated as elements linked to Mr Mubarak harassed reporters. The army detained journalists and human rights workers, including a foreign staff member of Amnesty International and local activists associated with Human Rights Watch.
Amnesty secretary general Sahil Shetty called for “the immediate and safe release of our colleagues and others . . . who should be able to monitor the human rights situation in Egypt at this crucial time without fear of harassment or detention”.