Tens of thousands of protesters gathered in the Square immediately after Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi’s televised address to the nation and rejected his proposal with chants of “erhal,” or leave.
Announcing concessions to protesters, Tantawi said the military council accepted the resignation of Prime Minister Essam Sharaf’s Cabinet.
“The armed forces, represented by their Supreme Council, do not aspire to govern and put the supreme interest of the country above all considerations,” Tantawi said.
He said the army was “completely ready to hand over responsibility immediately, and to return to its original mission to protect the nation if the nation wants that, via a popular referendum, if need be.”
“We agreed on July as the month to transfer power to a civilian president,” Emad Abdel Ghafour, head of the Nour (Light) Party, told Reuters.
He said a president would be elected in June ahead of a power transfer in July. Under the previous army timetable, the vote might not have taken place until late 2012 or early 2013.
“The people want the downfall of the Field Marshal” protesters chanted, just blocks away from clashes near the interior ministry on the outskirts of the square.
“We can’t trust what he says. The ball has been in SCAF’s court for months, and they didn’t do anything,” said Ibtisam Al-Hamalawy, 50.
“Tantawi is Mubarak copy pasted,” said another protester Ahmed Mamduh, 35.
“It’s like Mubarak’s speech. Tantawi has to go. That’s all there is to it,” said Abdel Rahman Ibrahim, a young member of the powerful Muslim Brotherhood.
Tens of thousands had gathered in Tahrir Square on Tuesday after days of deadly clashes between police and protesters demanding democratic change.
