Ramifications of Egyptian President Mubarak's Announcement to Step Down

The currently embattled and controversial Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak announced in a speech that he will be stepping down following the expiration of his current term in September. He plans on ending his 30-year reign as president once his current term ends, and is quoted as saying he will hand over power in a "constitutional way."

Most citizens feel that this is hardly a concession and is far from what has provoked the massive demonstrations and freezing of normal life in this North African nation. Demonstrators were hopeful that the announcement would be more along the lines of immediate resignation from his post and the opportunity for an opposition, or at least more democratically selected, government to be formed and promptly put in place. Instead, Mubarak has essentially announced that he will simply not seek reelection for another term.

While the long-time president stepping aside may have a significant effect on the way that Egypt is to be governed in the future, it also, just as plausibly, may make no difference.

The fact of the matter is that many see this as an attempt to calm the current discontent and return things to a relative state of calm. If Mubarak's announcement appeases at least a large sum of the currently discontent, it may serve this very purpose.

In the long term, however, it leaves things open to be run much the same as they currently are; either with a new puppet president or another ruling party that changes very little if anything aside from a heavy propaganda regimen.

In Egypt, the military carries heavy weight; for a drastic change of government that most people seem to be demanding, this could threaten them and the way in which things have been done for a long time. In addition, corruption and inequality within the current government are somewhat rampant, so those in power will almost surely attempt to retain as much control of it as possible.

Most of those demonstrating see these exact issues with Mubarak's half-hearted attempt to restore calm and order and appear responsive to his people. Because of this, the current state of protesting, unrest and general civil disobedience is likely to prevail until they are able to force a more dramatic and timely change in Egypt's government.