Breaking news .... Mubarak steps down

[Saracen]

According to the BBC, Mubarak now has stepped down. The army takes over.

Article here

I wonder if this is a case of the more things change, the more they stay the same?

But the army takeover looks very much like a military coup, our correspondent adds.

The constitution has been breached, he says, because officially it should be the speaker of parliament who takes over, not the army leadership.

.... reports that the Higher Military Council will sack the cabinet, suspend both houses of parliament and rule with the head of the Supreme Constitutional Court, the country's highest judicial body. A statement is expected later on Friday.

I just hope the Egyptian people get a fair deal, and get what they want, whatever that may be. It does now seem that this is in a particularly dangerous phase, though, and could go wrong.

[Lucio]

Hmmm, this doesn't look good at all for Egypt, whilst the Army has been apparently working for the interests of the people, you have to wonder why and how this came about. Let's hope the generals in charge commit to free elections ASAP.

[Saracen]

Indeed.

Did not Mubarak come from the armed forces originally?

And the army would not intervene, but it's been clear for a long time that Mubarak's days were nearing an end, if only because of his age, so it's not unreasonable to suspect that the army not opposing the protesters may not have been because they were refusing to back Mubarack but because they were playing their own game.

What strikes me as an issue is that while the forces commanders may be after power, will the masses of middle and lower ranked officers, and the actual troops, go along with it if the army now seeks to crack down?

And will the protesters accept this as a victory, and go home, or will they, having got this far, refuse to risk swapping one ex-military dictator for another? After all, it seems to me that what they want is more of a say in the country, more emphasis on the people, on the economy, on jobs and prosperity, and not just to change the nameplate on the oppressive dictator's office door.



EDIT - answering my own question, yes, he was ex-forces. Career Air force.

[pp05]

The army answers to Washington.

[santa claus]

Well, the Egyptian people wanted change and now they're going to get it. Not sure that there's been much thinking about what will happen after President Mubarak's departure.

[jim]

Until they call elections, I don't think the people are going to be happy.

On the flipside, there is now a massive power vacuum and a large number of people who might wish to fill it. And with a bit of manipulation, there's no reason why a free and fair election might miraculously choose them as the new leader.

Hope for all the world that they get what they want and deserve, but there's a massive risk that it won't happen.

[Webmonkie]

Its about time to be honest!

Exciting times huh