Mubarak resigns as president & hands power to army

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has stepped down and named a military council to run the country's affairs, state television said on Friday after 18 days of mass protests against his rule.

Egypt's higher military council said it would announce measures for a transitional phase after Mubarak stepped down.

In a statement, titled "Communique No. 3", it praised Mubarak for stepping down "in the interests of the nation" and said it "salutes the martyrs" who lost their lives in the unrest.

"We know the extent of the gravity and seriousness of this issue and the demands of the people to initiate radical changes," the statement said. "The higher military council is studying this issue to achieve the hopes of our great people."

"The council will issue a statement outlining the steps and procedures and directives that will be taken, confirming at the same time that there is no alternative to the legitimacy acceptable to the people," it added.

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Mubarak dismisses government

Embattled Egyptian leader says he will name a new government on Saturday.

The Egyptian president has dismissed his government, saying that he will replace it with a new one on Saturday.

"I have asked the government to resign and tomorrow there will be a new government," Hosni Mubarak said in an address to the nation late on Friday after four days of deadly protests.

The president said that change can not be achieved through chaos but through dialogue.

Saying he understood that the people of Egypt wanted him to address poverty, employment and democratic reform, he promised to press ahead with social, economic and political reforms.

"We will not backtrack on reforms. We will continue with new steps which will ensure the independence of the judiciary and its rulings, and more freedom for citizens," Mubarak said.

He said new steps will be taken "to contain unemployment, raise living standards, improve services and stand by the poor."

Reacting to the protests that have erupted in the capital and other cities, Mubarak urged calm, adding that only because of his own reforms over the years, were people able to protest.

'Not enough'

Al Jazeera's Ayman Mohyeldin, reporting from Cairo, said many Egyptians calling for change would say the sacking of the government is not enough.

"Ultimately in Egypt, the power lies with the president," he said.

"On paper, you have an independent parliament and an independent judiciary but every Egyptian will tell you that at the end of the day, power is concentrated in the hands of the president.

"Very few institutions can challenge his authority so the sacking of the cabinet is not going to end the grievances of the people."

(AJE)

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