A group of independent writers and businessmen called on President Hosni Mubarak to delegate all authority to his deputy and serve as a “ceremonial” leader until his term ends in September, according to a statement issued Wednesday. During this interim period, Vice-President Omar Soliman must dissolve the incumbent parliament and entrust an independent committee of jurists with laying out the details of all necessary constitutional amendments, said the statement, signed by ten prominent businessmen, writers, legal experts and former diplomats. “This is a middle-ground compromise,” Amr Hamzawy, an expert at the US-based Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, told Al-Masry Al-Youm. “We wrote this statement because we are concerned that the legitimate demands made by the people might lose momentum. The president has only heeded part of those demands” The statement comes fast on the heels of several breaking developments. Last night, Mubarak announced he would not run for a sixth presidential term in September, promising two constitutional amendments that would relax eligibility conditions for presidential candidates and limit the number of terms a president can serve. Mubarak did not, however, provide any guarantees for delivering on these pledges. “We're also afraid that that the opposition demands might be circumvented and eventually Egypt would lose a historic chance for a potential democratic transition,” noted Hamzawy, who has been participating in the ongoing demonstrations. Besides Hamzawy, the statement was signed by business tycoons Naguib Sawiris and Ibrahim al-Mealem, and by well-respected writers including Salama Ahmed Salama and Amr al-Shobaki, as well as legal expert Ahmed Kamal Abouel Magd. The signatories have also demanded the formation of a new cabinet that would include independent and popular technocrats to act as the state's executive branch during the transitional period. In an attempt to quell public outrage, Mubarak had earlier sacked the cabinet, but many of his new appointments are unpopular figures. The group also called for the abrogation of the state of emergency and the prosecution of those responsible for the eruption of chaos that followed the killing of over 100 people in clashes between police and protesters last week. The signatories also praised the “national role” played by the military. For most experts, the military remains the only state institution that enjoys legitimacy and popularity. They expect the army to be the main negotiator with the opposition in post-Mubarak Egypt. “Young protesters should be protected wherever they rally in Cairo and in all other provinces until the transition period is over,” added the statement. However, street protesters seem reluctant to give up their initial demand for the ouster of the 82-year-old president. None of Mubarak's pledges have convinced youth-based groups to end their ongoing protests in downtown Cairo. They have also rejected Mubarak's offer to begin a "national dialogue" with the opposition. “Any negotiations should begin after Mubarak leaves. This is our main demand,” said Nasser Abdel Hamed, a 28-year-old activist in the pro-Mohamed Elbaradei campaign who has been camping out with tens of thousands of protesters in Tahrir Square for over a week raising banners reading: “Mubarak, get lost!" The protesters' position might become more adamant in the wake of violent acts perpetrated earlier today against them by Mubarak supporters in Tahrir Square, when thugs stormed the square on camels and horseback hitting protesters with swords and iron chains. "We are afraid that the intensity of the situation might put national security and people's security at risk," warned Hamzawy. The statement has been distributed to various media outlets and youth-led opposition groups.
