CAIRO: Egyptian Prime Minister Essam Sharaf officially accepted the resignation of Deputy Prime Minister Yehia al-Gamal on Tuesday. Al-Gamal told national TV prior to his resignation that he wished to leave his post and return to teaching. “It's my right now to rest, to find myself back at Cairo University and at law school among my students,” he said. “My nature is a professor and an academic,” al-Gamal added. Al-Gamal, 81, held the position of minister of administrative relations and prime ministry affairs prior to being part of what is referred to as “the revolution cabinet.” Prime Minister Sharaf had announced a cabinet reshuffle would be announced within one week on Monday, in an address to the nation. The resignation and the reshuffle comes as public anger at the current cabinet for “ignoring the demands of the revolution,” according to most activists in the country, continues to gain steam. Speedy trials of the officers accused of killing protesters during the 18-day uprising that ousted former President Hosni Mubarak, is a top priority within the demands of the revolutionaries camped out in Cairo's Tahrir Square. Public trials of Mubarak and his aides, specifically former Minister of Interior Habib al-Adly, comes a close second. Other demands include the removal of the old regime's affiliates from current positions within the government, national media, the judiciary, the labor movement, heads of public universities, those who were assigned by Mubarak and his aides and within the ministry of interior are recurring demands from all political movements in Egypt at the moment. Sharaf promised in his second speech within a week on Monday to “respect the demands of the revolution” and ordered the suspension of all accused police officers, a decision that brought criticism from the interior ministry and the coalition of police officers who called it “illegitimate.” The police officer coalition has called for a march by police in rejection of the decision that will see the suspension of around 300 officers. Currently police officers who are accused of opening fire on protesters are either at their old posts or have been moved to other cities, a move the public coins as leading to a “collision” on the ministry's part. The ministry of interior has agreed to adhere to the prime minister's demands after he initially rejected the notion. According to Sharaf's latest address, the police movements and suspensions will be declared by July 15. Sharaf's speech drew great discontent from the protesters, who accused him of “selling out” on the revolution and many activists across Egypt have threatened to escalate their protests and enter a stage of widespread civil disobedience. Thousands of protesters gathered in Cairo's Tahrir Square on Tuesday evening to push for greater reforms. A concert was the main event and Egyptians, despite earlier tensions across the capital, appeared to put aside differences of opinions on the direction of the protest movement to create yet another sign of unity in a country that only five months ago ousted a government that had been in power for over three decades. BM
