Mubarak's finally gone!

[headfairy]

Lordy knows what happens now...

Good, DH reckons he has managed to move his money now.

well I'm sure there was as bit of that... making sure he had a safe passage for him, his family and his cash.

I wonder why now ???

the pressure was too great, the demos after Friday prayers were huge. he was always going to go today IMO. He couldnt have lasted another week.

You beat me to it, here is the link.

Hope the country sorts itself out soon and gets back on an even keel. He had to go for everyone's sake and yes, agree, he won't have done it until he was probably alrady out of the country....

Exciting times. I'm apprehensive about what comes next but yes, exciting.

Positive news for the Egyptians I only hope that the power vacuum is not filled with some just as unscrupulous or even more so. The road to democracy is not an easy one and is so easy to misstep along the way.

oh look.

he's being 'replaced', this military man, by a military council.

yeah, that's a big step towards democracy...

The first mistep Hecate, however it is a required one in order to attain a democracy they require elections but they need a person/people to hold the fort (so to speak) in the time being otherwise with no leadership things will deteriorate into chaos.

I hope the military will stick with their word and hold elections for their people I however can understand that it is important for them to bring back order. Currently Egypt is ruled by vigilantes.

yeah. The military will hold the fort alright.

Then they'll decide that it just isn't right / safe to have elections and they'll postpone it for a bit longer, because of all the chaos.

Then they'll put another military man in there for god knows how long and say it's in the country's best interests, just until things stabilise.

In another 20 years or so...

Wow, go on the school run and then this happens!

I'm with HQOW.... this is a bad situation and the people are not going to like what happens next. Would have been so much better for him to name the date for a general election and then step down voluntarily.

Well I think they should hold immediate elections the problem is the lack of candidates since Mubarak effectively crushed all opposition with only the brotherhood having anything resembling an organised party. Which means that it might be best to allow parties to flourish but then the military may get comfortable on the seat of power but I have a feeling they won't do this.

Burma all over again.

i think many ofyou are all far too pessimistic and the last thing the egyptians need is a condescending pessimistic west.

This is the hard bit now. This is where the positive parenting should start.

Ive been living in Egypt for a few years and the way the Egyptians have kept civil order (certainly not the police and not the army) has been astounding. The vigilanties included my DP who tirelessly protected the streets night after night and any trouble turned out to be from the secret police (including looting). I have faith in the people getting what they want, and it isnt the muslim brotherhood (who are not demanding leadership in anycase), ironically things feel safer with the people and the army in charge. IMO it would be anarchy in a western country under these circumstances.