The top executive committee of Egypt's ruling National Democratic Party including President Hosni Mubarak's son Gamal Mubarak resigned Saturday, the 12th day of Egypt's unrest, which saw fewer protesters in Cairo's downtown Tahrir square.
Hossam Badrawy, who is a prominent physician and politician and has been part of the liberal wing of the NDP, replaced both Safwat el Sherif and Gamal Mubarak as Secretary General and Policy Secretariat of the NDP.
This is Mubarak's latest reaction to protestors demanding for his resignation as president. This move, according to analysts, erased any chances for Gamal Mubarak to succeed the presidency.
Gamal Mubarak was widely believed to have been groomed for the Egypt's presidency after his father, which was strongly opposed by the opposition. Egyptian Vice President Omar Suleiman on Thursday denied Gamal would run for the presidential election late this year.
Mubarak announced on Tuesday that he did not intend to run for next term before he reshuffled the government last week.
The military, which is crucial to decide whether the embattled president will step down, has so far given no hint of its stance.
Earlier on Saturday, Egyptian army commander Hassan al-Roweny went to the Tahrir, or Liberation, Square, in downtown Cairo to persuade thousands of protestors to stop the demonstration and keep the society from being more chaotic.
The senior officer said in a loud speaker that the crowd should go home and the army guaranteed the safety of protestors, a Xinhua reporter said. The address was responded with shouts from demonstrators.
The 12th day of the nationwide anti-government demonstration seemed to be relatively quiet, with few thousands of protestors still sitting in increasingly famous Tahrir Square in downtown Cairo.
For some protestors, the square has become more like home, as they refuse to leave until President Mubarak is gone.