Egyptian president: I am aware of peoples' aspirations, achievements won't come through violence; says first responsibility is to Egyptian people.
By JPOST.COM STAFFMohamed ElBaradei supports 311(photo credit: Miret el Naggar/MCT)Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak made his first public statement since anti-government protests began four days ago. He said he is aware of the problems faced by Egyptian people, called for order and announced that the government will be replaced on Saturday.Mubarak said that the Egyptian people's goals cannot be achieved through violence or chaos, they can only be achieved by national diagolgue and concerted efforts.RELATED:Number of dead rises to 18, 13 in Suez, in Egypt protestsThousands in Jordan protest, demand PM step downWhite House: Time for reform to come to Egypt"In my capacity as president of the republic, I always stressed and continue to reiterate that sovereignty belongs to the people." However, he continued, "There is a fine line separating freedom from chaos."He said that he has been monitoring the protests and the demands of the people, adding that he "regrets the innocent casualties and victims," both civilians and policemen.However, the Egyptian president warned that "our plans to combat unemployment and provide more educational services, healthcare and housing, will remain conditional on our efforts to maintain Egypt's security."The head of the Egyptian opposition Wafd party on Friday called for a period of transitional rule in Egypt, new parliamentary elections and amendments to the constitution limiting presidential terms, Reuters reported.In the latest day of protests, al-Jazeera reported that the number of people who died in the Egyptian city of Suez rose to 11,bringing the total number of people killed to 18. Earlier Friday, parts of the ruling party headquarters in Cairo were going up in flames apparently set by enraged protesters demanding Mubarak's ouster.
