Generals have taken to the airwaves to send a stern but reassuring message to the public over their handling of the transition, writes Galal Nassar As the army tried to restore normality to the Egyptian street and 25 January activists voiced scepticism about the government's structure and performance, veteran journalist Mohamed Hassanein Heikal caused a stir when he raised the spectre of counterrevolution. Speaking on Egypt's state television, Heikal argued that president Hosni Mubarak's remaining in Sharm El-Sheikh threatened the country's future. "President Mubarak is still receiving calls from everywhere. The phones don't stop ringing between Cairo and Sharm El-Sheikh. There is a flashpoint in Sharm El-Sheikh, one that may turn into a counterrevolutionary or worse. Mubarak's remaining encourages counterrevolution. The old regime, once it takes its breath, will do anything to survive and retain its gains," said Heikal. His remarks were alarming as they were quickly seen to be casting shadows over the army's actions as well as its commitment to fighting corruption and holding accountable those who erred under the old regime. In response, the army sent its top brass to the television studios to publicly state who is in charge. "We have decided to speak directly to the public through a credible television programme in order to open all dossiers, rebutt all rumours, and react to commentators seeking to settle accounts with the former president and his regime," a military source told Al-Ahram Weekly. In recent days the army has had open discussions with authors, journalists, judges and 25 January activists. More meetings are planned. "It appears that the closed meetings in which we explained our views were not enough to consolidate the trust that has existed between the army and the people since the Armed Forces were deployed in the streets on the night of 28 January. We have therefore opted for greater visibility. We are interested in addressing members of the public from all walks of life and across the political spectrum," said the source. On Monday the popular talk show Al-Ashera Masaan (10 O'Clock) hosted three generals -- Mokhtar El-Mulla, Mohamed El-Assar, and Mamdouh Shahin -- all members of the Higher Council of the Armed Forces (HCAF). The next day the army posted a statement on its Facebook page, reaffirming what its generals had said. In its ninth communiqué the HCAF said that the Republican Guard was mostly back in barracks. This was in response to reports that the Republican Guards had been seen hoisting pictures of former president Mubarak. Sharm El-Sheikh, the army said, was just another Egyptian town and received no special treatment. It added that contrary to what was rumoured, the Republican Palace in Heliopolis was closed. "This is the first time to see Egyptian military officers speaking so courteously and sensibly on topics of a political nature," a young man who had taken part in the Tahrir Square demonstrations said. Assistant Defence Minister for Legal Affairs Mamdouh Shahin had already said voting in the next elections will be done using national ID cards and not special voting cards. He added that the constitutional amendments currently being drafted would be open to public debate, noting that the army has no control over the judiciary and will always act within the constitution. During the televised debate, Shahin said Mubarak and his family have no immunity from trial. Already the prosecutor-general has frozen the assets of Mubarak and his family in Egypt and requested assets be frozen elsewhere. Asked if the former president could be tried in a criminal court Shahin said that there is no reason to rule out the possibility. "Anyone who abused the Egyptians, assailing their lives or property, is accountable, regardless of his rank," he said. The HCAF is going to take all possible measures to foster democracy, promised Shahin, adding that the army would supervise the next election. Those found to have been involved in 2 February's attack on protesters were sentenced to five years in prison by the military court, Shahin revealed. It was the first time the army has mentioned having tried people involved in attacks on protesters. General El-Mulla made an equally remarkable announcement. He said that the presidential and parliamentary elections would not be held under the government of Ahmed Shafik. The three tried to defend Shafik's government against the scepticism voiced by activist Shadi Harb and journalist Wael El-Ibrashi who took part in the same show. According to the generals, the names of those running the government mattered less than their actions. They also pledged a government reshuffle, which is exactly what happened on Tuesday night when several opposition figures joined the cabinet. Constitutional expert Yehia El-Gamal became deputy prime minister, the Wafd's Mounir Fakhri Abdel-Nour was named minister of tourism, and Tagammu's Gouda Abdel-Khaleq became minister of social solidarity. Omar Suleiman, vice president until Mubarak's resignation on 12 February, is not part of the current power structure. The generals made it clear that the country is run by the HCAF. Al-Mulla denied that the army is helping the former president in any way. The army is looking into all allegations of financial misdoing, but such things can take time. "We're not into humouring corruption," El-Mulla said. "But slow justice is better than false accusations." The army is reluctant to take action on mere hearsay, El-Mulla said, though he conceded corruption was rampant under the old regime. He urged the public to give the new interior minister, Mahmoud Wagdi, a chance. The police force has a lot of honourable people, despite the few corrupt ones in their midst, he said. "We're still protecting the country's borders, and it is hard for the army to safeguard various facilities inside the country." The lack of accountability in the old regime has alarmed the army. "Ministers used to do what they wanted. Now it is different. The HCAF decides and the ministers implement the decisions without delay." In turn, General Al-Assar said that the army decided to take to the television studios to strengthen its bond with the public. "The HCAF wants to make the country safe and free and to make sure that the parliamentary elections take place in the best possible tradition of democracy," he said. Denying that former president Hosni Mubarak or former Shura Assembly speaker Safwat El-Sherif have any say in what the government does, El-Assar said that the HCAF "is not taking instructions from anyone." Asked about chief editors who sided with the regime against the revolution and twisted the truth, El-Assar said that, as a private citizen rather than a member of the HCAF, he wishes to see them hand in their resignations. The generals voiced alarm over recent events in Libya given that nearly 1.5 million Egyptians live in Egypt's western neighbour. The army is hoping for an end to the million-man marches and the current wave of industrial strikes, and HCAF members are particularly concerned over the impact of the current strife in North Africa and the Gulf on the local economy.
