Tahrir Square demonstrators reject army choice for prime minister
- 13 years ago
With Egypt's parliamentary elections a day away, protesters in Tahrir Square show no sign of packing up.
Thousands fill the square, demanding that military rulers hand over power to an emergency civilian government.
But not all are revolutionaries - some come to socialize, while others are just curious and come for a look.
(SOUNDBITE)(Arabic) UNKNOWN ONLOOKER, SAYING:
"I'm not here to join the protest, I'm just taking a look, the country is deranged and I don't like this position."
A smaller group camps out in front of the cabinet building nearby to protest newly-appointed Prime Minister Kamal al-Ganzouri.
In the late nineties, Ganzouri served as prime minister under President Hosni Mubarak, who stepped down in February and is facing trial for protester deaths during the January 25 revolution.
(SOUNDBITE)(Arabic) PROTESTER OUTSIDE PARLIAMENT, BASAM SHARAF, SAYING:
"First of all, we are not rejecting Ganzouri because of his age, as people are saying, it is for political reasons, and the policies of this man during the period he governed. If we can picture this together, two-thirds of the ministers that Ganzouri appointed in his day are now in Tora prison. So that is what's in our minds."
Tensions are elevated after a man was run over and killed by a security vehicle Saturday - an incident the authorities say was an accident.
The ruling military council insists parliamentary elections will begin as scheduled Monday despite the ongoing unrest.
Lindsey Parietti, Reuters
Thousands fill the square, demanding that military rulers hand over power to an emergency civilian government.
But not all are revolutionaries - some come to socialize, while others are just curious and come for a look.
(SOUNDBITE)(Arabic) UNKNOWN ONLOOKER, SAYING:
"I'm not here to join the protest, I'm just taking a look, the country is deranged and I don't like this position."
A smaller group camps out in front of the cabinet building nearby to protest newly-appointed Prime Minister Kamal al-Ganzouri.
In the late nineties, Ganzouri served as prime minister under President Hosni Mubarak, who stepped down in February and is facing trial for protester deaths during the January 25 revolution.
(SOUNDBITE)(Arabic) PROTESTER OUTSIDE PARLIAMENT, BASAM SHARAF, SAYING:
"First of all, we are not rejecting Ganzouri because of his age, as people are saying, it is for political reasons, and the policies of this man during the period he governed. If we can picture this together, two-thirds of the ministers that Ganzouri appointed in his day are now in Tora prison. So that is what's in our minds."
Tensions are elevated after a man was run over and killed by a security vehicle Saturday - an incident the authorities say was an accident.
The ruling military council insists parliamentary elections will begin as scheduled Monday despite the ongoing unrest.
Lindsey Parietti, Reuters