Egypt: Embattled Mubarak to Stay Put Until September

By Eric Sande

Cairo – Egypt’s President Hosni Mubarak has said there is no vacuum and promised that he will transfer power after September's presidential election. This is in response to more than two weeks of nationwide protests against his 30-year rule.

Mubarak praised the Egyptian youths who went on a countrywide protest of his rule in his address on national television. This comes after 17 days of demonstration.

"I express a commitment to carry on and protect the constitution and the people and transfer power to whomever is elected next September in free and transparent elections," Mr Mubarak said. "I will ignore diktats from abroad," he added.

Just after his announcement, yet again thousands of Egyptians had again gathered in central Cairo to call for him to step down.

The US has pressured Mr Mubarak to speed up the pace of reform but has stopped short of demanding the resignation of the president of the country, which has a peace treaty with Israel and an army which receives about $1.3 billion in US aid a year.

Joe Biden, US Vice President on Tuesday set out steps Egypt must take in the face of unrelenting protests against Mr Mubarak, bluntly telling his government to stop harassing protesters and immediately repeal an emergency law allowing detention without charge.

The demands appeared aimed at raising pressure on Mubarak’s handpicked vice president, Omar Suleiman, the former intelligence chief who is negotiating with opposition figures demanding Mubarak’s immediate ouster.

The nationwide protest and clashes between protesters and security forces have claimed lives so far at least 300 people.