Hundreds of thousands of Egyptians spend the night on the streets of the capital, Cairo, celebrating the long-anticipated resignation of president Hosni Mubarak, a RIA Novosti correspondent reported on Saturday.
Mubarak, 82, who ruled the country for almost 30 years, stepped down on Friday after 18 days of heated protests demanding his resignation. The Egyptian military will temporarily rule the country to ensure a smooth and peaceful transition to democracy.
Crowds of jubilant citizens sang patriotic songs and danced on Friday night on the streets of Cairo and other cities of the most populous Arab nation with 80 million people.
The streets in Cairo were jammed with honking cars, decorated with national flags, despite the night curfew that is still in force.
Complete strangers congratulated each other and chanted: "Farewell, Mubarak!"
Tahrir Square in central Cairo - the headquarters of the Egyptian revolutionaries - turned into the center of festive activities overnight.
The military removed barbed wire from the square, although tanks and armored vehicles remain in positions.
The Egyptian military has apparently taken the side of the opposition and soldiers allowed civilians to climb the military vehicles and posed for photographs without any objections.
Meanwhile, more and more opposition activists demand that Mubarak and his close supporters be arrested and tried on various charges, including corruption.
The ousted president has reportedly agreed to resign following a meeting with United Arab Emirates Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who offered Mubarak refuge in the city of Al Ain (UAE).
Mubarak has also received guarantees that he or his family members would not be legally persecuted, and his personal property would not be confiscated, the Kuwaiti Al-Qabas daily said Friday.
CAIRO, February 12 (RIA Novosti)
