Muslim Brothers: Egypt regime's reform plans not enough

CAIRO - An offer by Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak's regime to include opposition members on a panel to pilot democratic reform does not go far enough, a Muslim Brotherhood head said after landmark talks Sunday.

"The statement is insufficient," said Mohammed Mursi, who took part in a meeting between the government and representatives of several opposition groups protesting against Mubarak's rule.

The talks were historic in that the Brotherhood, which is still technically banned, has not officially met with the Egyptian state in 50 years.

Another senior Brotherhood figure, Essam al-Erian, told reporters: "Our demands are still the same. They didn't respond to most of our demands. They only responded to some of our demands, but in a superficial way."

Mahmud Ezzat, the number two leader in the Brotherhood, said that the group had not pulled out of the talks because it felt it had made progress, but warned that protests would continue.

In his view, the government had by sitting down with the opposition "admitted that this is a popular revolution and its demands are legitimate. And part of our demands is that the president must leave.

Asked whether he believed that Mubarak would eventually step down, Ezzat said: "That hinges on popular pressure, and we support the popular pressure. It must continue."

Following the talks, the government announced an agreement that the parties would form a joint committee of jurists and politicians to oversee democratic reform with a view to holding eventual elections.

The government also agreed to open an office for complaints about the treatment of political prisoners, loosen media curbs, to lift an emergency law "depending on the security situation" and reject foreign interference.

But the demonstrators who have seized control of Tahrir Square in central Cairo, some of them Brotherhood supporters but many more unaffiliated secular protesters, have been adamant that Mubarak must step down immediately.

Many in the square were angry as night fell and the talks had failed to force Mubarak to quit his post and allow others to oversee the transition.

"It's bullshit. That's my honest opinion," said 25-year-old Nora Abul Samra. "When he leaves they can do whatever they want. They still believe there is a constitutional way to do it, but this is a revolution." - Islamonline 06/02/2011 10:00:00 PM GMT