Egyptians celebrate, but continue calls for reform (News Feature)

Feb 11, 2011, 18:18 GMT

Cairo - Friday, February 11, is already being hailed as a historic day in the history of the Middle East, following the resignation of Hosny Mubarak after nearly 30 years as Egyptian president.

More than 1 million people gathered in Cairo's central Tahrir Square to celebrate after 18 days of anti-government protests, which left at least 300 dead, according to the United Nations.

Leaders around the world, from Germany to Lebanon, characterized Mubarak's departure as a 'historic moment of change'.

With the Egyptian army now in charge, protesters chanted 'the army and the people, are one hand united.'

People danced, cheered, sang and waved flags as the celebratory sound of gunfire, car horns, and ululations rang throughout Egypt.

Despite the cheers and excitement, people were anxiously waiting to see if the military would promise to hand over power to a civilian-led government soon.

'If the military officially states its support for a transition to democracy, removal of emergency law, and new parliamentary elections, we'll go home,' said Tarek Shalaby, who has been camped out in Tahrir square for past two weeks.

'If the military only vaguely states that they will meet our demands, I will stay in Tahrir,' he added.

Echoing his statement was Yasser Gomaa, a government employee from the town of Kafr al-Sheikh, who has protesting in front of parliament for the past several days.

'Military rule is refused. We will accept the military to oversee, not to control, and for a limited time. The head of Egypt's constitutional court should preside over the elections,' said Gomaa.

What people are calling for now is for free, fair and transparent parliamentary elections to be followed by presidential vote.

The Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt's largest opposition group, also called on the military to hand over power to a civilian-led government soon.

'We call for a safe and stable transition of power to a civilian- led government with a constitution higher than that of a corrupt government,' Rashad Bayoumi, assistant secretary general of the Muslim Brotherhood, told the German Press Agency dpa.

Egyptians are hoping that free elections will bring new candidates and fresh ideas to the forefront. The removal of Mubarak was just the first in a list of demands set forth by protesters, who launched nationwide demonstrations January 25.

'Egypt always delivers great minds, but Mubarak suppressed everyone so that there would be no one better than him or an alternate to him,' said Gomaa.

Thousands of Egyptians who had assembled in front of both the state-run television and radio building as well as in front of the president's residence waved the Egyptian flag and cheered at the news of Mubarak's resignation.

Mubarak and his family left their Cairo residence in the suburb of Heliopolis by helicopter Friday, arriving later at the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, the television channel al-Arabiya said.

To many of the protesters who had defiantly stood their ground, Mubarak's resignation goes hand-in-hand with ending a daily struggle with poverty.

'I make 30 pounds a day (5 dollars). By the end of the month I can't save anything. I just don't have anything to save,' said Reda Abdelaziz Mansi, who hails from a village just outside the city of Tanta.

'We didn't want Mubarak. I want to see an honest man in power,' he said as he joined protesters outside parliament.

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