Egypt unrest: Barack Obama urges power transition now
Baku, February 2 (AZERTAC). US President Barack Obama has said an orderly political transition "must begin now" in Egypt and lead to free and fair elections.
His statement followed the announcement by Egypt`s President Hosni Mubarak that he would not stand for re-election.
Earlier, the US had told Mr. Mubarak not to stand for re-election nor to put forward his son.
The Obama adminstration`s message was carried to Cairo on Monday by former US Ambassador to Egypt Frank Wisner.
The White House had previously said it was not Mr. Obama`s place to pick Egypt`s leader.
On Tuesday night, Mr. Mubarak - who has ruled Egypt for the past three decades - said he would not stand for re-election.
However, he said nothing about his son, Gamal Mubarak, whom he is seen as having positioned to be his successor.
Mr. Obama`s televised statement followed discussions with his national security advisers in Washington on Tuesday.
While he did not say Mr. Mubarak should stand down immediately, he said "an orderly transition must be meaningful, it must be peaceful and it must begin now".
Mr. Obama said he had spoken to the Egyptian leader after his announcement in Cairo and that Mr. Mubarak recognized "that the status quo is not sustainable and a change must take place".
The US president praised Egypt`s military "for the professionalism and patriotism that it has shown thus far in allowing peaceful protests while protecting the Egyptian people" and urged it to continue that approach.
He stressed that it was up to the Egyptian people to choose their leaders, and that the US would continue to offer support and friendship to them.
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