Opposition say Egyptian government offer not enough

An offer by Egypt’s new government to include opposition members on a panel to pilot democratic reform does not go far enough, a Muslim Brotherhood leader said after meeting Vice-President Omar Suleiman Sunday.

Reuters

"The statement is insufficient," said Mohammed Mursi, who took part in the meeting between the government and representatives of several opposition groups.

The talks were historic in that the Brotherhood, which is still technically banned, has not officially met with the Egyptian state in 50 years.

The party said that it has not pulled out of talks but is standing by its demand that President Hosni Mubarak resign.

Following the talks, the government announced an agreement that the parties would form a joint committee of jurists and politicians to oversee democratic reform with a view to holding eventual elections.

It also agreed to open an office for complaints about the treatment of political prisoners, loosen media curbs, lift an emergency law "depending on the security situation" and reject foreign interference.

But Suleiman turned down an opposition demand that he assume the president’s powers.

But demonstrators on Cairo’s Tahrir Square seem determined to fight on until Mubarak quits.

Former IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei says that he was not invited to the talks.

US senator John Kerry, a member of President Barack Obama’s Democratic Party, hailed the talks as "quite extraordinary".