Kamal al-Ganzuri appointed new Egyptian PM

At least 35 demonstrators were killed and more than 2,000 injured in five days Egypt's ruling military council on Thursday tasked former prime minister Kamal al-Ganzuri with forming a new cabinet, private Egyptian TV channels reported. Ganzuri headed the government from 1996 to 1999, under ousted president Hosni Mubarak.
The reports of his appointment came after the ruling military council on Tuesday accepted the resignation of caretaker premier Essam Sharaf's cabinet, amid spiralling unrest, and invited the country's political forces for crisis talks on the formation of a "national salvation" government.
After the popular uprisings earlier this year that toppled Mubarak, Ganzuri distanced himself from the former leader in a television interview, prompting several Facebook pages to recommend him as a future presidential candidate.
Born in 1933, Ganzuri served as minister of planning and international cooperation before his first tenure as Egyptian premier.
He then made a name for himself by working to strengthen ties between Egypt and the World Bank and INternational Monetary Fund.
Amr Moussa, a presidential candidate and the former head of the Arab League has been asked to lead the new cabinet as prime minister, according to Al-Jazeera's Adam Makary.
Egypt's Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) has just four days to appoint a new 'salvation government' if it is to fulfil its hope of having a new administration in place before the start of elections.
It is not clear whether Moussa will accept.
In a SCAF press conference, military chief of staff Mokhtar El-Mola said they never intended to replace the legislature, and repeated Field Marshal Mohammed Hussein Tantawi's claim that the army has never used bullets on the Egyptian people.
"Tension is increasing for some unjustified reasons ...we are not biased, we are not supporting any party...the SCAF 'is not looking for power'. The interests of the nation are the most important and the army is 'ready to go back into the barracks'. Most important is to stop violence against the demonstrators ...the right of protest is for everyone unless there is disturbance," said El-Mola.
He went on to say that the army was there to protect the Egyptian people and maintain stability.
He also stated that the elections would go ahead as scheduled and the presidential election would take place by June 2012.
"There is corruption that went on for years and it is impossible within a few months ...to put an end to corruption. Any violations of human rights will be tackled," said El-Mola.
El-Mola also said that detainees will be released and those responsible for violence will be held "accountable".
Elections are also to proceed as planned, while protestors in Tahrir Square remain adamant. Egyptian protestors want the elections to be postponed and a council of elders to replace the military rulers. "The people demand the end of the field marshal," said one large banner.
Abdul Mawgoud Dardery, a prominent member of the Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom of Justice party, said Egypt's military rulers are right to push ahead with the elections on Monday.
Speaking to Al-Jazeera he said it would be wrong to delay the vote until after a new civilian government had been appointed.
"That would be a very undemocratic move and the Egyptian people will not allow it," he told the network. "The problem is what will the process be to choose the civilian council?" he asked.
Dardery, who is standing for election in Luxor, pointed out that 80 per cent of the population backed a timetable that stipulating that elections should be held before a consitution was formed.
He claimed the people of Luxor wanted security, stability and elections as soon as possible. He also denied that the Freedom and Justice party want an early poll before other parties had a chance to get organised.
The SCAF also apologised for the deaths of demonstrators at the hands of police as protests demanding an immediate handover to civilian control entered a seventh day.
"The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces presents its regrets and deep apologies for the deaths of martyrs from among Egypt's loyal sons during the recent events in Tahrir Square," it said in a statement on its Facebook page.
"The council also offers its condolences to the families of the martyrs across Egypt."
Four people were reportedly killed in Wednesday's clashes, two in Cairo and another two in Alexandria where one was shot while the other was suffocated by gas. In addition, dozens of injuries were reported in different parts of Egypt.  
Clashes between Egyptian riot police and protesters stopped overnight for the first time in days on Thursday, though demonstrators occupying Cairo's Tahrir Square vowed to stay put until the army relinquished power.
Meanwhile, the SCAF denied using gas bombs or live ammunition against protestors in Cairo and Alexandria. However, most of the dead in the preceding five days of protest have had bullet wounds, medics say. And demonstrators have shown off cartridge casings they say come from weapons used by the authorities.
About the SCAF's statement, Ahmed Doma, a political activist, said to 'Arabstoday': “Security forces are still practicing excessive violence, especially after the statement made by the field marshal Tantawi.”
He added “Gas bombs are fired with huge amounts in addition to cartridges and rubber bullets. Two lives were claimed today after being shot by live ammunition two hours ago. Filed hospitals increased in Tahrir Square to more than 10, but they are not sufficient if compared to the huge number of injuries.”
“Tantawi follows the steps of Mubarak and this is the first statement to him, so there are just two statements left and then he steps down.”
Doma added that Tantawi placed his bets on the Islamist political forces and is trying hard to win them over by running the elections in its due time, which represents the spoils they are expecting from their current battle. "Elections are a life-and-death battle for the Islamists and they can do anything to run it n the exact time determined by the SCAF, even if it costs them launching a second Battle of the Camel,” said Doma.
On Wednesday evening a ceasefire on Mohamed Mahmoud street was brought about by Al Azhar imams who formed a human shield between protestors and police. Most of the protestors then headed towards the forces and started to shake hands cheering “Unarmed, Unarmed.” Shortly after, security forces retreated to Lazoghly Square to take their positions for protecting the Ministry of Interior. It ended abruptly with police firing tear gas shells and rubber bullets at protestors once again. Journalists said the street, epicentre of the main fighting just off Tahrir Square, was a "two-way street for ambulances", and passed out protestors being rushed to the hospital.
Eyewitnesses and doctors at a makeshift field hospital said there were an invisible substance causing suffocation and inflammation of the eyes. Reports of protesters fainting were widespread, a report carried by Egypt’s al-Masry al-Youm said on Wednesday.
Dr Hesham Ibrahi an otolaryngology consultant, confirmed to 'Arabstoday' through his work in the field hospital that gas fired in the square had no smell and according to tear-gas categorisation were CL – CS- CR. "The first one of them, CL,is the weakest one, while the second, CS, which is commonly used by the forces attacking the square, causes suffocation and nerve spasms and inhalation of the gas leads to death. Although it is internationally prohibited, Egypt did not sign the prohibition agreement for that gas and still uses it against protestors. The third, CR, is commonly used in chemical wars, and is the most dangerous and hsould not be used at all," said Dr. Ibrahim.
The death toll from confrontations between protesters and police around Egypt has reached 38, in addition to over a thousand injured, according to figures from a reputed Egyptian rights group. The health ministry however pegged the number of dead to 32 and injured at 870.
The U.N. human rights chief called Wednesday for an independent probe into the killing of protestors by Egypt's military and security forces.
“I urge the Egyptian authorities to end the clearly excessive use of force against protestors in Tahrir square and elsewhere in the country,” said Navi Pillay, adding that “there should be a prompt, impartial and independent investigation, and accountability for those found responsible for the abuses.”
“There should be a prompt, impartial and independent investigation, and accountability for those found responsible for the abuses that have taken place should be ensured,” added the U.N. rights chief.
Police have been locked in sporadic clashes with protesters demanding the end of military rule.
Parliamentary elections will take till January to complete. It is not clear how a referendum on military rule might be organised, nor what alternative might be proposed until June’s presidential vote.
But Tantawi angered many of the youthful demonstrators on Cairo’s Tahrir Square and in other cities by suggesting a referendum on whether military rule should end earlier - a move many saw as a ploy to appeal to the many Egyptians who fear further upheaval and to divide those from the young activists.
“He is trying to say that, despite all these people in Tahrir, they don’t represent the public,” said 32-year-old Rasha, one of dozens huddled around a radio in the nearby Cafe Riche, a venerable Cairo landmark. “He wants to pull the rug from under them and take it to a public referendum.”
A military source said Tantawi’s referendum offer would come into play “if the people reject the field marshal’s speech,” but did not explain how the popular mood would be assessed.
“We can’t trust what he says. The ball has been in the military council’s court for months, and they didn’'t do anything," Ibtisam al-Hamalawy, 50, told AFP.
For many Egyptians, trapped in a daily battle to feed themselves and their families, the political demands of some of those they view as young idealists are hard to fathom:
“I have lost track of what the demands are,” said Mohammed Sayed, 32, a store clerk in central Cairo as the capital went about its normal business before the start of what protesters had hoped might be a “million man march” on Tuesday.
“If you talk to the people in Tahrir, they have no clue,” added Sayed. “I don’t know where the country is headed. I’m worried about my life.”
Criticism of the military has grown in recent days. Amnesty International said the SCAF had "been responsible for a catalogue of abuses which in some cases exceeds the record of Hosni Mubarak".
In the report published on Tuesday, the UK-based human-rights watchdog said Egypt's military rulers had "completely failed to live up their promises to Egyptians to improve human rights".