CAIRO: Representatives from various political groups in Cairo met with General Sami Anan, the Army Chief of Staff in a five-hour crisis meeting on Tuesday evening, where the SCAF pledged to transfer power to a civilian government. Egypt's interim ruling military council, the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) has allegedly agreed to cede to several protester demands, and have accepted the collective resignation of Prime Minister Essam Sharaf and the Cabinet of Ministers. According to a statement from Abu el-Ela Mady, Chairman of the al-Wasat Party, the SCAF has agreed to form a new national salvation unity government “within days,” set to replace the cabinet. Tens of thousands of protesters in Tahrir roared upon hearing the news. “We will not leave until he leaves,” they said, referring to the head of Egypt's ruling military council, Field Marshall Hussein Tantwai. Eyewitnesses tell Bikyamasr.com that violence in the square has raged on despite the announcement, as state security continues to wage its offensive on protesters in the square. “We will not leave until the situation is peaceful and we have a civilian led government,” one protester told Bikyamasr.com on Tuesday evening. The SCAF has also agreed to hold presidential elections before the end of June 2012, and still plans to hold parliamentary elections as scheduled. Previously, the SCAF said that they did not intend on holding presidential elections until 2013. The SCAF has promised to allow protesters to collectively demonstrate, and have vowed to immediately release all those detained or arrested since Saturday. Anti-military demonstrations across Egypt turned violent after military and police personnel waged a brutal offensive on peaceful protesters in Cairo's Tahrir Square in the early hours of Saturday morning. 33 have been reported dead in the clashes, according to official statistics from the Egyptian Ministry of Health. However, activists and eyewitnesses suspect that the number is much higher. Field Marshall Hussein Tantawi, the head of the ruling military council, is expected to speak with protesters in Tahrir Square tonight. BM
