New military rulers watched closely as many Egyptians
resumed their jobs on the first day of the working week, after issuing a stern
warning effectively banning labor protests and telling workers to abandon their
revolutionary fervor.
There were no signs of the worker protests outside the state
banks that erupted last Sunday and prompted the central bank to shut down state
and private banks for the rest of the week.
But not everyone in the Egyptian capital heeded the army's
warning that "the Supreme Council for the Armed forces will not allow the
continuation of these illegal practices." About 70 employees demonstrated
in front of the head office of the Omar Effendi department store chain in
central Cairo, demanding that the company be re-nationalized.
The Egyptian Museum in Cairo and the pyramids at Giza were
among the tourist sites that were reopened to the public for the first time in
some three weeks. Egypt's lucrative tourist sector was dealt a body blow as
foreigners stayed away due to unrest.
At pains to distance itself from Mubarak's old guard, the
government plans to reshuffle the Cabinet, probably on Monday.
Opposition leader Mohamed El-Baradei warned Sunday that all
the gains of Egypt's revolution will be lost if elections are held too soon
because supporters of ousted president Hosni Mubarak will get back in power.
"If we go too fast, if we organize elections in four or
five months, it will be all over for the revolution, the old regime will
perpetuate itself in another guise," the Nobel Peace Prize laureate told
the Turkish daily Milliyet.
"Mubarak's party will make a comeback under a new
banner. These people already have everything, money, the media ... Move too
fast toward elections will mean allowing the old regime to get back into power
with a new face," he said.
El-Baradei envisaged the creation of a presidential council
composed of two civilians and one military member to manage a transition phase,
which would include forming a constituent assembly, a referendum on a new
constitution and the strengthening of political parties before elections.
He said polls should not be held until at least a year from
now.
