Cairo, Feb. 7: Egypt’s embattled regime on Monday announced a 15 per cent raise for government employees in an attempt to shore up its base and defuse popular anger amid ongoing protests demanding the President, Mr Hosni Mubarak’s ouster.
The Cabinet decision follows earlier promises to investigate election fraud and official corruption as well as an announcement that a detained Google Inc. executive who was one of the most prominent youth organisers would be released later on Monday. Wael Ghonim, a marketing manager for Google, was seized by security agents on January 28, three days after the crisis erupted. The gestures so far have done little to persuade the tens of thousands occupying Tahrir Square to end their two-week-long protest, leaving the two sides in an uneasy stalemate. The protesters have vowed to stay put until Mr Mubarak steps down, while the regime wants him to stay in office until elections in September. The newly appointed finance minister, Mr Samir Radwan said some 6.5 billion Egyptian pounds ($960 million) will be allocated to cover the salary and pension increases, which will take effect in April for the six million people on public payrolls.
“We don’t trust him and he’s a liar — he’s made many promises in the past,” said Mr Salih Abdel-Aziz, an engineer with a public sector company. “He could raise it 65 per cent and we wouldn’t believe him. As long as Mubarak is in charge, all of these are brittle decisions can break at any moment.”
Public sector employees have been a pillar of support for the regime, but their salaries have stagnated in value in recent years as prices have soared, forcing the government to periodically announce raises to quell dissatisfaction.
Meanwhile, Egyptians displayed their spirit of brotherhood, even as the Christian protesters in Tahrir Square joined hands to form a protective cordon around their Muslim countrymen on Friday, so they could pray in safety.
On Sunday, the Muslims returned the favour as they surrounded the Christians celebrating Mass in Cairo’s central plaza, the ground for the secular pro-democracy protests, reported the Daily News.
“In the name of Jesus and Muhammed, we unify our ranks,” the Rev. Ihab al-Kharat told the crowd in his sermon. “We will keep protesting until the fall of the tyranny,” he said. The worshippers sang, “Bless our country, listen to the cries of our hearts.”