NEW YORK, Feb 4: As the 'Day of Departure' called by protesters as the deadline for president Hosni Mubarak to resign arrives today, there have been reports that Mubarak's strongest ally Washington is working to put together a new government to ensure US influence remained even after Mubarak was gone.
The New York Times reported on Thursday that president Barrack Obama's administration has offered the proposal for the 82-year-old Mubarak to step down in order to pave the way for formation of a transitional government headed by Mubarak's hurriedly appoined vice president Omar Suleiman, with the support of the Egyptian army.
The report claimed the transitional government will have the backing of Egypt's armed forces chief of staff Sami Enan and Defense Minister Mohamed Hussein Tantawi. The Egyptian army is the main recipient of Washington's aid to the North African country, as part of US efforts to contain Egypt from any future plans against neighbouring Israeli regime.
If the report is true, the latest development comes as the US Senate approved a non-binding measure urging Mubarak to immediately set up a caretaker government.
According to the report, the proposal echoes same calls on Mubarak and urges him to invite members from a variety of opposition groups, including the banned Muslim Brotherhood who Mubarak accused of sparking the protests, to commence a process of constitutional reform in an effort to lay the groundwork for holding a free and fair election in September.
Meanwhile, the Egyptian vice president said on Thursday that the government has started dialog with the opposition parties and representatives of protesters, a claim denied by the opposition.
Today millions of Egyptian protesters are gearing up for the “Day of Departure” for Mubarak, with plans for major rallies after the Muslim Friday prayers. Millions of others outside Egypt, including in Kuala Lumpur, are also expected to hold rallies at Egyptian embassies worldwide expressing support for the protesters in Tahris square and other cities in Egypt.
Washington has given Cairo an average of $2 billion annually since 1979, making Egypt the second largest recipient of US aid after Israel. The Obama administration has asked the Congress to approve similar sums for the 2011 fiscal year.
'Not Egyptian culture'
Meanwhile, Mubarak's vice-president Suleiman said the anti-government protesters were not "part of the Egyptian culture", saying "we all respect Mubarak as father and leader".
Suleiman said the violence in Cairo could have been the result of a "conspiracy".
"We will look into [the violence], into the fact it was a conspiracy," he said.
At least 13 people have been killed in clashes in Tahrir (Liberation) Square, central Cairo, as violence continues between a small group of pro-government groups comprised of mainly plainclothes policemen, and pro-democracy protesters.
Suleiman called on the protesters to end their 10-day demonstration, saying the government had now met their demands for reform, adding that the call for Mubarak to step down would be a "call for chaos".
"End your sit-in. Your demands have been answered," said Omar Suleiman.
He said constitutional change would take at least 70 days, and that a parliament was needed in order to look at it.
"The January 25 movement wanted to dissolve the parliament but we can't do that if we are going to amend the constitution," he said.
"We have to look into the future of Egypt, who will run this country, who will lead Egypt in the next six years, who will represent the country?"
But a pro-democracy activist dismissed Suleiman's speech, saying it was all a "ridiculous lie".
"From the beginning we were saying we want the whole regime to be out," she told Al Jazeera.
"There are thugs and bullies preventing us from getting medical and food supplies. It's outrageous. We are not interested in anything they say unless it is that they are leaving now.
"Especially after the brutality ... we cannot accept this. This is a crime of war."
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