Many dead in Cairo anti-military protests; National Council for Human Rights (NCHR) forms fact-finding commission to investigate Tahrir clashes; Kamal Ganzouri appointed new PM; UN renews call to ensure peaceful transition
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    • According to reports, in the worst violence since the uprising that removed President Hosni Mubarak, Cairo police clashed with protesters demanding an end to army rule, resulting in death toll rising to at least 33. Later, the Cabinet spokesperson Mohammed Hegazy said Prime Minister Essam Sharaf's entire Cabinet had tendered its resignation and the ruling military council had accepted the government's resignation.1

    In another development, in an attempt to placate protesters and defuse a political crisis that has jolted plans for the country’s first free election in decades, Egypt’s ruling generals offered to transfer power to a civilian president by July 2012. The military council also agreed to accept the resignation of Prime Minister Essam Sharaf’s Cabinet and to replace it with a national salvation government within days to steer Egypt to civilian rule.2

    Meanwhile, the National Council for Human Rights (NCHR) announced the formation of a fact-finding commission, headed by Mohamed Fayeq, to investigate the clashes in Tahrir Square. According to Nasser Amin, the commission was made up of a number of the council’s board members and a number of researchers.3

    Reports noted that former Egyptian prime minister Kamal Ganzouri accepted a request from the ruling generals to form a new government on Thursday, state newspaper Al Ahram said on its website. Ganzouri, who served as premier between 1996 and 1999, confirmed he had agreed in principle to lead a national salvation government after meeting with the head of the ruling army council. Meanwhile, the ruling army council again promised that parliamentary elections would start on time next week. It said earlier it would speed up the timetable for a handover from military to civilian presidential rule.4

    In other developments, after his talks with the head of Egypt's Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon renewed calls for Egypt's military rulers to ensure an “inclusive, orderly and peaceful transition" that meets the legitimate aspirations of the Egyptian people through transparent and credible elections leading to the establishment of civilian rule. The US and other governments have also called for a quick transition to civilian rule in Egypt.5

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