Mubarak’s new cabinet meets

Mubarak (82) who has refused calls to end his 30-year-old presidency before September polls, saying his resignation would cause chaos in the Arab world’s most populous nation, has tried to focus on restoring order.
Protesters, barricaded in a tent camp in Tahrir Square in the heart of Cairo, have vowed to stay until Mubarak quits and hope to take their campaign to the streets with more mass demonstrations between today and Friday.
The banned Islamist Muslim Brotherhood movement was among groups that met Egyptian government officials at the weekend, a sign of how much has already changed.
Opposition figures reported little prog-ress in the talks.
While protesters want Mubarak to step down immediately, many worry that when he does leave, he will be replaced not with the democracy they seek.
With a government pledging to reform, an opposition with limited political experience, a constitutional process that mitigates against haste, and a key strategic role, Egypt’s next steps must be considered carefully, US officials say.
The opposition has made big gains in the past two weeks.
Mubarak has said he will not run again for president, his son has been ruled out as next in line, a vice president has been appointed for the first time in 30 years, the ruling party leadership has quit and the old cabinet was sacked.
Perhaps more important, protesters now take to the streets almost with impunity in their hundreds of thousands. Before January 25, a few hundred would have met a crushing police response.
Appearing to soften her position for Mubarak to step down, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has said her policy on Egypt looks “over the horizon” to its possible democratic future — a future that must be carefully planned.
Egypt’s government tried to get the country back to normal when the working week began on Sunday.
Banks reopened after a week-long closure with lines of customers accessing accounts but hours, and withdrawals, were limited.
Schools remained shut.
Several major Egyptian business concerns resumed business. Orascom Construction Industries (OCI), Egypt’s biggest listed firm, said it had resumed work at almost 90 percent of its construction sites in Egypt as of Sunday.
In another move to restore normality, authorities shortened the curfew, largely ignored by the hard-core protesters, to start at 8 pm and end at 6 am.
Many Egyptians, including those who took part in nationwide demonstrations last week against Mubarak, are keen to get back to work and are worried about the effects of the crisis on stability, the economy and the important tourism sector.
The government said after the weekend meeting, chaired by Vice President Omar Suleiman, they agreed to draft a road map for talks, indicating Mubarak would stay in power to oversee change.
It would also move to release jailed activists, guarantee press freedom and lift Egypt’s emergency laws.
A committee was set up to study constitutional change.
The opposition said the government failed to meet its demand for a complete overhaul of Egypt’s political system.
Abdel Monem Aboul Fotouh, a senior Brotherhood figure, said the government statement represented “good intentions but does not include any solid changes”.
Egyptian security and customs authorities began to scan all foreign diplomatic pouches that arrive in Egypt in precautionary measures to prevent the entry of any questionable objects, state news agency MENA reported yesterday.
Egyptian Foreign Ministry issued directives to Cairo Airport and Cairo Cargo Village to ensure the new measures are implemented, said the report.
Under the international norms, bags of diplomats are not subject to inspection measures.
“In case the X-ray scanners detect any suspicious objects, a permission will be retained from the Foreign Ministry to open them,” the report quoted a security source as saying.
This unusual security measure started when the nationwide anti- regime demonstration entered the 14th day, with protestors were still calling for an immediate resignation of President Hosni Mubarak.
On Sunday, the Egyptian foreign ministry accused unnamed foreign diplomats of attempting to smuggle weapons and communications equipment into the country.
“It was noted that some foreign embassies in Cairo tried to bring in arms and telecommunications equipment in diplomatic pouches,” said the statement.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit said on Sunday his government rejects any outside dictates, especially from Western countries. — Reuters- Xinhua.