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Prime minister and army officials suggest Egyptian president, Hosni Mubarak, may step down soon Intense speculation is mounting about the fate of President Hosni Mubarak after the heads of Egypt’s ruling party and senior army commanders suggested he will step down imminently. In what would mark a momentous victory for demonstrators who have demanded the resignation of the president since protests began last month, the Egyptian prime minister, Ahmed Shafiq, told the BBC that Mubarak may step down and the situation in the country will be clarified soon. Hossam Badrawi, the secretary general of the ruling party, was quoted in the state press as saying he had asked Mubarak to transfer his powers to the vice-president, Omar Suleiman, and that he expected him to resign this evening. Mubarak was expected to make a televised address tonight. Negotiations may still be taking place, however, with reports that Mubarak’s senior advisers have said he will not stand down tonight and “all the reports are not valid”. In Washington, the head of the CIA, Leon Panetta, said: “There’s a strong likelihood that Mubarak may step down this evening, which would be significant in terms of where the, hopefully, orderly transition in Egypt takes place.” Thousands of people have gathered in Cairo’s Tahrir Square for the 17th day, with vast crowds of Egyptians waiting to hear if the president will finally step down after 30 years in power. In a move that has the hallmarks of a military coup, the army has told protesters that it supports their demands and will take measures to safeguard the nation. Military officials said the army will issue a communique shortly that will meet protesters’ demands. Security officials said Egypt’s supreme military council had been meeting all day, without the commander-in-chief, Mubarak. The council announced its “support of the legitimate demands of the people” on state TV. A spokesman said the council was in permanent session “to explore what measures and arrangements could be made to safeguard the nation, its achievements and the ambitions of its great people”. An Egyptian army commander, Hassan al-Roweny, told protesters in Tahrir Square: “All your demands will be met today”. Speaking from a stage erected in the square, Roweny called on protesters to sing the national anthem and keep Egypt safe. As they heard his words, protesters chanted: “The people demand the fall of the regime” and “The regime has fallen”, according to Reuters. Hosni Mubarak Egypt Protest Middle East Alexandra Topping guardian.co.uk