Number of protestors in the squares of Cairo and Alexandria is increasing.  Hundreds of thousands are expected to take to the streets after Friday prayer. They will march to the presidential palace.

Yesterday’s televised statement of President Hosni Mubarak infuriated anti-government protestors who gathered in Tahrir square yesterday evening. Most of them expected Mubarak would step down. Contrary to expectations Mubarak said he was handing the functions of the president to Vice-President Omar Suleiman, adding he will not step down until presidential elections scheduled for September.  

World leaders seemed to be angered by Mubarak’s decision as well. U.S. President Barack Obama issued a statement demanding “a credible, concrete and unequivocal path toward genuine democracy”.

“The Egyptian people have been told that there was a transition of authority, but it is not yet clear that this transition is immediate, meaningful or sufficient. Too many Egyptians remain unconvinced that the government is serious about a genuine transition to democracy, and it is the responsibility of the government to speak clearly to the Egyptian people and the world. The Egyptian government must put forward a credible, concrete and unequivocal path toward genuine democracy, and they have not yet seized that opportunity,” he said.