Thousands of Egyptians rallied in Cairo’s Tahrir Square yesterday to celebrate the success of their revolution and call for a new government of technocrats purged of old regime remnants.
In a festive mood, thousands of flag-bearing Egyptians returned to the central stronghold of the round-the-clock popular revolt that forced President Hosni Mubarak’s resignation two week ago.
They called for the replacement of the government of Prime Minister Ahmad Shafiq, which even after a reshuffle on Wednesday still has a number of key portfolios, including foreign affairs and defence, in the hands of veterans of Mr Mubarak’s regime.
“Shafiq’s government is subservient to the corrupt regime,” read one banner carried by demonstrators.
Protesters also called for the abolition of the much feared state security services.
Elsewhere, in a show of solidarity with the popular revolt in neighbouring Libya that has triggered a deadly crackdown from loyalists of veteran strongman Muammar Gaddafi, demonstrators chanted: “Down with Gaddafi” and waved Libyan flags.
President Mubarak, who resigned on February 11, handed power to the army.
The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces ordered Shafiq’s government to “run the affairs of the country on a temporary basis for six months or until the end of parliamentary and presidential elections.”
The new government has said “there will be no turning back” and pledged to fight corruption.