'Change regime.' Moussa
Photo: AFP
US increases pressure on Mubarak to act quickly
'Way Egypt looks and operates must change,' White House says. Arab League chief calls for 'peaceful regime change'
The White House increased pressure on Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to act swiftly to respond to mass protests on Monday and said appointing a new government was not enough.
Still walking a diplomatic tightrope, however, US officials insisted President Barack Obama was not calling on Mubarak to step down and said it was up to the Egyptian people to decide the way forward in Egypt.
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After a weekend in which Mubarak named a new vice president but clung to power in Cairo, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs declared, "This is not about appointments, it's about actions."
"Obviously there is more work to be done ... The way Egypt looks and operates must change," Gibbs said.
The United States wants an orderly transition in Egypt that includes negotiations with a broad cross-section of Egyptian groups, free and fair elections and constitutional changes to allow for a more open and democratic process.
Meanwhile, Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa, a former Egyptian foreign minister, supported the protestors and called for a "peaceful regime change."
"We must find a way to move forward and conduct the transition of power in a conciliatory fashion," he told AFP Monday.
Reuters, AFP contributed to the report
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