Victory for protesters as Mubarak ends 30-year reign By

 

 

Exit ... hated Mubarak

 

HATED Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak's 30-year reign ended tonight after eight days of bloody protests.

The strongman dubbed "The Last Pharaoh" finally buckled under pressure and pledged not to stand for re-election in September.
The historic announcement was a stunning victory for one million Egyptians who took to the streets to defy the president's iron rule.
But some thronging Cairo's Liberation Square - where dozens died during a week of street clashes with police - were still screaming "Go now!".
Demonstrators feared the 82-year-old Mubarak may still try to engineer the result of the next poll.
And thousands vowed to carry on protesting until he is driven out of their homeland.

Insult

After cheers rang out as Mubarak's speech was broadcast in the Square, the cry: "We're not leaving!" rang out.
Hundreds of protestors furiously waved the soles of their shoes in the air in a symbolic Arab insult.
Mubarak adamantly refused to leave the country in his televised address - pledging to die on Egyptian soil.
He told the nation: "I never wanted power and prestige and people know the difficult circumstances in which I have shouldered responsibility during war and peace.
"I will say with all honesty that I was not intent on standing for the next election because I have spent enough time serving Egypt and I now wish to conclude my work.
"I want to say in clear terms that in the time remaining of my reign I will work very hard to carry out all the necessary measures to transfer power.

"I ask for the parliament to commit to speed up the elections - and I will pursue the transfer of power in a way that will fulfill the people's demands.
"Egypt will come out of these difficult circumstances better than it was before.
"I have lived in this country, I have fought for it, I will die for it and history will judge me."