Egypt offers new concessions to opposition

Egypt’s vice president met major opposition groups for the first time and offered new concessions including freedom of the press, release of those detained since anti-government protests began nearly two weeks ago and the eventual lifting of hated emergency laws.

Two of the groups that attended yesterday’s meeting said it was only a first step in a dialogue which has yet to meet their central demand – the immediate removal of President Hosni Mubarak.

“People still want the president to step down,” said Mostafa al-Naggar, a protest organiser and supporter of Mohamed ElBaradei, a Nobel Peace laureate, former United Nations nuclear chief and one of the country’s leading democracy advocates.

“The protest continues because there are no guarantees and not all demands have been met. We did not sign on to the statement. This is a beginning of a dialogue. We approve the positive things in the statement but ... we are still demanding that the president step down.”

The outlawed Muslim Brotherhood, the country’s largest opposition group, which also attended, made a similar statement.

Vice President Omar Suleiman offered to set up a committee of judiciary and political figures to study proposed constitutional reforms that would allow more candidates to run for president and impose term limits on the presidency, the state news agency reported.

The committee was given until the first week of March to finish the tasks.

The offer also included a pledge not to harass those participating in anti-government protests, which have drawn hundreds of thousands at the biggest rallies. The government agreed not to hamper press freedom and not to interfere with text messaging and the internet.

The offer to eventually lift emergency laws when security permits would fulfil a long-time demand by the opposition. The laws were imposed by Mr Mubarak when he took office in 1981 and have been in force ever since, giving police far-reaching powers for detention and suppression of civil and human rights.

Mr Mubarak insists he cannot stand down now because it would deepen the chaos in his country.

The US shifted signals and gave key backing to the regime’s gradual changes yesterday, warning of the dangers if Mr Mubarak left too quickly.

The meeting drew the broadest representation of Egypt’s fragmented opposition to sit with the new vice president since the protests began on January 25.

The new offer of concessions followed a series of others that would have been unimaginable just a month ago in the tightly-controlled country.

All appear geared to placate the protesters and relieve international pressure without giving in to the one demand that unites all the opposition – Mr Mubarak’s immediate departure. The latest agreement makes no mention of any plan for Mubarak to step down before a new election is held later this year.

Meanwhile there were signs that the paralysis that has gripped the country since the crisis began was easing. Some schools reopened yesterday – Egypt’s first day of the week – and banks did the same for three hours.

However a night curfew remained and tanks ringed Cairo’s central square and guarding government buildings, embassies and other important institutions.

At the epicentre of the protests, Tahrir (Liberation) Square in central Cairo, some activists said they had slept under army tanks for fear troops would try to evict them or further confine the area for demonstrations. The crowd of thousands in the morning swelled steadily over the day to tens of thousands last night.

“We are determined to press on until our number one demand is met,” said Khaled Abdul-Hameed, a representative of the protesters.

He said the activists had formed a 10-member “Coalition of the Youths of Egypt’s Revolution” to relay their positions to politicians and public figures negotiating with the regime.

“The regime is retreating. It is making more concessions every day,” Mr Abdul-Hameed said.

Opposition groups represented at the meeting included the youthful supporters of Mr ElBaradei, who are one of the main forces organising the protests. Mr ElBaradei was not invited and his brother said the statement by those who did attend did not represent his personal view.

The Muslim Brotherhood and a number of smaller left-wing and liberal groups also attended, according to footage shown on state television.

Mohammed Mursi, one of the Brothers who attended the talks, said what was issued was a position in principle, “a first step”.

“People want real change, a change that includes the president, his government, his party and his regime,” he added.

He said the group was expecting a second round of talks within a few days.