Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak named a vice president for the first time in his decades-long rule, as street protests and the international community intensified pressure on the 82-year-old leader to implement wide-sweeping political reforms.
According to state television, Mubarak named his intelligence chief and close confidant Omar Suleiman to the post. The announcement appeared to be a step toward establishing a successor as tens of thousands of protesters clamoured for Mubarak's ouster.
Mubarak was widely believed to be grooming his son Gamal to replace him as president. But the possibility of hereditary succession grew dim as demonstrations rocked major cities through the week and protesters dismissed vague promises for reform.
This is the first vice president Mubarak has named since coming to power nearly 30 years ago.
As intelligence chief, Suleiman was charged with overseeing many of Egypt's most sensitive foreign policy issues, notably the Palestinian-Israeli peace process.
His military background falls in step with previous Egyptian leaders. All four presidents since Egypt's monarchy was toppled nearly 60 years ago have had military backgrounds.
Fawaz Gerges, director of Middle East Studies at the London School of Economics, said Saturday that Suleiman's appointment is a sign that the military, which is the most powerful institution in Egypt, is trying to regain control of the volatile political situation by setting up its chosen man to replace Mubarak.
"The military has its own interest," Gerges told Â鶹´«Ã½ Channel in a telephone interview. "The military is very much concerned about the social protests spiraling out of control, and what they are trying to do is to find a formula by which they have their own man and basically try to get Mubarak out."
According to Gerges, Suleiman's appointment is "not the last word" on the issue of succession.
"The situation is in flux," Suleiman said. "We have to wait and see when the dust settles on the battlefield in the next few days and next few weeks ahead."
Suleiman's promotion came after Mubarak dismissed his Cabinet on state television while making vague promises of social reform.
The developments prompted the leaders of France, Britain and Germany to release a joint statement, urging Mubarak to take steps to avoid violent crackdowns on protesters and pave the way for free elections.
"We call on President Mubarak to renounce any violence against unarmed civilians and to recognise the demonstrators' peaceful rights," read the German-language statement released in Berlin.
"We call on President Mubarak to begin a transformation process that should be reflected in a broadly-based government, as well as free and fair elections."
Earlier Saturday, European Union President Herman Van Rompuy urged Mubarak to end the crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrations, saying he was "deeply troubled" by the spiral of violence in Egypt.
He said he hoped promises of political reform would translate into concrete action.
His calls echoed similar statements made by U.S. President Barack Obama, who asked Mubarak to take steps to improve human rights.
Obama's government threatened to reduce its $1.5 billion foreign aid program if the Egyptian government, Washington's most important Arab ally, escalated the use of force.
At least 74 people have been killed in clashes during five days of protests. Riot police opened fire on demonstrators in Cairo again on Saturday after a state-imposed curfew passed largely unnoticed.
With files from The Associated Press
