Egypt protests: government to meet key opposition figures

• Jack Shenker in Cairo
• guardian.co.uk, Saturday 5 February 2011 11.10 GMT
• Article history



Flames are seen after an explosion went off at a gas terminal in Egypt's northern Sinai peninsula. Photograph: Ashraf Swailem/AP The standoff between Egyptian anti-government protesters and their 82-year-old president continued into its 12th day, with Cairo's central square still under occupation today and Hosni Mubarak maintaining his refusal to stand down. In an effort to break the deadlock, a group of prominent opposition figures said they would meet newly appointed vice-president Omar Suleiman later today to discuss the possibility of him assuming power for a transitional period. The opening of any negotiations now between the government and opposition forces is being fiercely opposed by a wide swath of the pro-change movement, including the Muslim Brotherhood, former UN nuclear weapons chief Mohamed ElBaradei and many of the pro-change demonstrators on the ground, all of whom believe that talks should only begin after Mubarak resigns.Read More