The rule of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak officially ended today with the former leader granting state control to the country’s military, months short of the 30 year anniversary since he first came to power.
The BBC reported that the former president finally conceded to weeks of mass protests in the country with his resignation, which was officially announced on state television by Vice-President Omar Suleiman who claimed that the country was now in control of the high command of Egypt’s armed forces.
“In the name of God the merciful, the compassionate, citizens, during these very difficult circumstances Egypt is going through, President Hosni Mubarak has decided to step down from the office of president of the republic and has charged the high council of the armed forces to administer the affairs of the country,” he was reported as saying.
The resignation was welcomed by Maldivian President Mohamed Nasheed, who claimed that the apparent end of President Mubarak’s rule, allegedly linked to widespread corruption and human rights abuses, was part of a wider wave of democratic change taking place across the Arab world.
Amidst potential fears from some Western powers over the impacts such political changes could have on regional stability, Nasheed called for strong support for democratic reform in nations like Egypt.
“The right not to be tortured, the freedom to speak your mind, the ability to choose your own government… these liberties are not the preserve of Western nations but universal values to which everyone aspires,” he said
Press reports from around the world have focused on the likely fallout that the resignation of Mubarak, who had faced almost three weeks of solid protests against his rule by hundreds of thousands of his fellow Egyptians, could have both regionally and internationally.
British Newspaper, the Daily Telegraph, reported that the resignation has been praised by Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as the dawning of a “new Middle East” – drawing parallels with his own country’s 1979 revolution.
“It’s your right to be free. It’s your right to exercise your will and sovereignty,” he said.
Ahmadinejad reportedly told crowds in Tehran that Mubarak’s departure was likely to bring major changes to global politics.
“In spite of all the (West’s) complicated and satanic designs … a new Middle East is emerging without the Zionist regime and US interference, a place where the arrogant powers will have no place,” he said.
US President Barack Obama is also today expected to welcome the resignation of his Egyptian counterpart, according to press reports.
The financial world was not immune to Mubarak’s resignation, with news service Reuters reporting that the US dollar has posted a rise in value against the euro recovering from a “brief dip” spurred by fears over oil supply resulting from the former president’s departure.
Reuters’ reporters within Egypt have said that uncertainty remains alongside the optimism of protestors in Tahrir Square, Cairo, with senior members of the political group, the Muslim Brotherhood, claiming a victory for the Egyptian people as it awaits the next action from the higher military council presently in charge of the nation.
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Comment: Gayoom and Nasir unlikely to face their Mubarak moment- Mubarak appears in court charged with killing protesters, corruption, waste of public funds
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Call it progress, destiny or the truth finally winning through. Democracy is the only way forward for a educated and savvy population. Are you watching Gayoom!! Are you watching DRP.
How arrogant and blind this Ahmadinejad can become. His country is suffering under his rule. People are enslaved and there is no freedom of anything. He thinks Iman Mahdi will come out of a well (of all the places!) and bring peace to the world. But before that this mad man Ahmadinejad wants to bring choas to the region because according to his belief then only the Imam will appear. That is why Iran wants nuclear bomb so that they can use it on Isreal.
With internet and facebook, the days of strongmen and dictators like Maumoon , Yameen are over. And only people who are down to earth and in touch with common people would survive.. Even the DRP would not survive for long...
The message is clear. Change to die.
Aw, Maumoon's mentor got kicked in the tenders.
Next up, Algeria, Syria, Iran, DRP and Saudi Arabia!.
Unintalling a dictator 100 percent complete.
Mabarak had been one of the key ally of west, and its CIA which is ousting Mabarak to give way for conservative islamic regimes to take over middle east, Next 10 years whole arab world will be taken over by Islamic regimes, which will result in Hard clashes with Isreal. and the NWO clears knows that Isreal will not have a choice then to defend it self from Arab world. Which will lead to Major War between arab world and Isreal, where the world will be exausted with the problem. and Ultimately Zioanist will get what is so called promised land, and USA will fall from world empire. welcome to the new world order. "if Hitler didnt kill jews, it would have raised the opportunity to create Isreal after many thousand years" oops did i say Hilter was part of the plan. Perhaps he is, history tell Hitler was financed by Rothchild, while today Rothchild is one of the founder of Isreal.
It is lovely to see the events unfolding in Egypt that leads to the overthrowing of Hosni Mubarak.
It has been a change spearheaded by young people who are in their 20s.
It has been a change facilitated by the internet, facebook and twitter.
It has been largely secular as it should be.
Women have been on the streets with men.
This is a good beginning in the progress of the Arab and Muslim world of which both the Maldive Islands is an integral part.
This will help to consolidate Maldivian secularism and democracy.
I hope Gayoom and his friends are watching and learning.
Ultimately, Mubarak fell such a humiliating fall because of greed for power and money.
On several visits to Mubarak-led Egypt, I saw and experienced the Police- State led by Mubarak.
Egypt of Mubarak was a client-state of the super-power USA. USA wanted stability and not democracy.
Democracy is what Arabs and Muslims need; not stability.
Now Israel must have a revolution. It must change the way it looks at Palestinians and Arabs.
The much-awaited re-birth of Islam has now begun.
Jews also must undergo a change of heart and mind.
I am so glad for the Maldives. Many of our sons and daughters go to Egypt to study.
We will no longer get Gayooms coming to hijack the Maldivian ship-of state.
The MDP-led Revolution in Maldives has been repeated in a very impressive way in the more important Egypt. Egyptians have actually been more decisive than Maldivians.
I remember writing to Gamal Abul Nasser and getting a reply from him in 1952. Nasser's 1952 Revolution has now come of age.
People in free societies, e.g. Britain and Finland, write better and speak better.
I know this from personal experience.
Gayyoom and Yameen may wish for the old days and try to get to power in 2013. If they had any doubts about "people power"; things should be much clearer now.
Egypt will never be the same again. Maldives will never be the same again. Times have changed and this is a one way change. There is no going back to the 'good old days' for the Dictators.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41553017/ns/world_news-the_new_york_times
Someone should audit Maumoon, and freeze his offshore accounts too. That'd be fun.