The Empire's Bagman - Frank Wisner Jr

[Jan Klimkowski]

The Empire's Bagman says Mubarak must stay.

5 February 2011 Last updated at 19:59

Egypt unrest: Hosni Mubarak must stay - US envoy

Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak "must stay in office" during a power transition, a US special envoy says.

Frank Wisner was speaking as protesters kept up their demands for Mr Mubarak to step down immediately.

Mr Mubarak has pledged to quit in September. Earlier, he replaced the entire politburo of his ruling party, including his son Gamal.

President Barack Obama has urged Mr Mubarak to "make the right decision" and to begin the transition "now".

The US state department has refused to comment on Mr Wisner's remarks, in which he also hailed the Egyptian ruling party resignations.

Hossam Badrawi, a reformer and top physician, took the post of head of the policies committee, held by Gamal, and that of secretary-general.

Protesters still occupy Cairo's Tahrir Square, but their numbers have fallen from Friday's huge rally.

But the BBC's Yolande Knell in Cairo says the city is still remarkably quiet 12 days after the protests began as people wait to see what happens next.

'Critical' leadership

Mr Wisner, a former ambassador in Egypt, was sent by President Obama to Cairo on Monday, apparently to urge Mr Mubarak to announce his departure.

"We need to get a national consensus around the pre-conditions for the next step forward. The president must stay in office to steer those changes," he told the Munich Security Conference.

"I believe that President Mubarak's continued leadership is critical - it's his chance to write his own legacy.

"He has given 60 years of his life to the service of his country, this is an ideal moment for him to show the way forward."

On Friday Mr Obama urged the Egyptian president to make the "right decision", without explicitly saying he should step down.

The resignation of leading officials of the ruling National Democratic Party was announced on state TV.

"The members of the executive committee resigned from their posts. It was decided to name Hossam Badrawi secretary general of the party," it said.

Secretary-General Safwat al-Sharif, a highly unpopular figure for the protesters, lost his post.

A state-owned TV report said President Mubarak, as party leader, had accepted the resignations.

The BBC's John Leyne in Cairo says that while the new secretary-general, Dr Badrawi, is seen as a liberal he is still close to the ruling family, and this is another indication of the turmoil in the ruling elite.

Mr Mubarak has already aid he will not stand for re-election as Egypt's president in September, but insists he must stay until then to prevent chaos in the country. Protesters are demanding that he goes immediately.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-12374753