In response to ongoing postrevolution protests directed at the country's military council, Egypt's ruling generals have offered to transfer power to a civilian president by July, Reuters reports:
The military council, in power since Hosni Mubarak was overthrown on February 11, also agreed at a meeting with politicians 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.
"We agreed on July as the month to transfer power to a civilian president," one participant, Emad Abdel Ghafour, head of the Salafi Islamist Nour (Light) Party, told Reuters.
He said a president would be elected in June ahead of a power transfer in July. Under the previous army timetable, the vote might not have taken place until late 2012 or early 2013.
Anger against the military council exploded this month after a cabinet proposal to set out constitutional principles that would permanently shield the army from civilian oversight …
The concessions have been wrenched from the military by five days of protests against army rule in Cairo's Tahrir Square and elsewhere amid violence that has cost at least 36 lives.
Source: Reuters.
NPR reports that the offer to transfer power was immediately rejected by tens of thousands of protesters at Cairo's Tahrir Square, who want to see the interim military council resign immediately. They responded to Tantawi's proposal by chanting "Erhal," or "Leave."