Egypt army vows transition to democracy

Egypt's new military rulers on Saturday vowed to pave the way for a democratically elected civilian government and to abide by all international treaties in the wake of Hosni Mubarak's overthrow.


In a televised statement entitled "Communique Number 4," the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces also said that the current government would remain in place temporarily until a new one could be sworn in after a "peaceful transition."

The council said it would "pave the way for an elected civil authority to build a free democratic state," although it set no official timetable.

It went on to say it would "remain committed to all its regional and international treaties," implicitly confirming that Egypt's landmark 1979 peace treaty with Israel would remain intact.

The announcement was the clearest statement yet on the military's plans following Mubarak's ouster by a nationwide pro-democracy uprising.