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Egypt Military Calls for End to Strikes

15 February 2011 01:38 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. Egypt’s new military rulers have urged an end to a series of crippling strikes that have broken out nationwide in the aftermath of the revolution, while signaling their intent to share power with civilians and amend the constitution by popular referendum, APA reports quoting voanews.com website.

The governing Supreme Military Council issued a communique Monday urging labor leaders to end the unrest, warning the strikes threaten any recovery in the country’s battered economy after two weeks of paralyzing protests.

But the military stopped short of banning strikes, as it attempted to reassure opposition leaders it is genuinely committed to a democratic transition .

Among the more prominent groups involved in full or partial strikes across Egypt are police officers, textile workers, cement laborers, public bank and municipal employees, oil and gas workers and bus drivers. Workers cite a series of grievances, including the need for better pay and job security.

Meanwhile, pro-democracy activist Wael Ghonim says the country’s new military rulers told him a referendum will be held on a revised constitution within two months. Ghonim and blogger Amr Salama said they secured the commitment in talks with the military council that took control of Egypt from President Hosni Mubarak when he resigned last Friday. They described Sunday’s meeting as encouraging.

Ghonim, a Google executive, and other cyber activists played a key role in organizing 18 days of nationwide anti-government protests that forced Mr. Mubarak to step down and hand power to the military after nearly 30 years in power.

The Associated Press reported that the coalition of youth activists presented a list of demands Monday, including dissolving Mr. Mubarak’s National Democratic Party and creating a new cabinet within 30 days. They want it to replace the current caretaker government, appointed by Mr. Mubarak after the protests erupted January 25.

Also Monday, indications surfaced that Egypt’s ousted president could be having medical problems. The Egyptian ambassador to the United States, Sameh Shoukry, said on U.S. television that Mr. Mubarak was â€œpossibly in somewhat bad health.â€ The envoy said he could not be more specific.

Several hundred protesters appeared in Tahrir Square Monday, far fewer than the tens of thousands who gathered there during the past couple of weeks.

Elsewhere, Egyptian police joined the ranks of public workers who have launched protests, sit-ins and strikes. Striking bank workers forced authorities to make Monday an unscheduled bank holiday, running into a public observance already set for Tuesday.

Activists said the military council told them that a newly-appointed committee will finish drafting constitutional amendments in 10 days and seek public approval for the new charter in a national referendum in two months. Egypt’s military rulers have not confirmed the timelines.

The military council suspended the constitution and dissolved parliament Sunday, meeting two key demands of pro-democracy protesters who viewed the charter and legislature as tools of Mr. Mubarak’s authoritarian rule.

In a statement Sunday, Egypt’s military rulers said they will govern for six months or until new presidential and parliamentary elections are held. The votes are scheduled for September.