Obama: Egypt's Transition To Democracy 'Must Begin Now'

President Barack Obama said Tuesday that a transition to democracy in Egypt "must begin now" and should lead to opposition participation in free and fair elections.

Speaking after Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak's announcement Tuesday that he will not seek reelection in September, Obama said he had called Mubarak after the speech to discuss the situation in Egypt.

"He recognizes that the status quo is not sustainable and that change must take place," Obama said at the White House. He said he told Mubarak of "my belief that an orderly transition must be meaningful, it must be peaceful, and it must begin now."

Earlier, Obama administration officials indicated that Mubarak's announcement was less than they had hoped for and was unlikely to satisfy protesters' demands for a new government.

Obama met with his top national security officials following Mubarak's televised speech as the White House contemplated its next step.

Mubarak spoke after receiving a direct message from Obama carried by retired US diplomat Frank Wisner. Although officials declined to discuss the details of Wisner's meeting Tuesday with Mubarak, they said that the administration's "prevailing view" since last weekend has been that an agreement by Mubarak not to run again was insufficient.

In public statements since Sunday, the administration has called for an "orderly transition" in Egypt, defined by officials as the immediate establishment of a representative, interim government that would enact reforms and prepare for an openelection.

Although officials have said the administration was not opposed to Mubarak's remaining in office through a transition period if that were acceptable to the Egyptian people, several indicated in recent days that they did not see how that would satisfy the vast throngs who have taken to the streets to demand his ouster.

Obama's message to Mubarak urging him not to run again contrasted sharply with the White House's characterization of its position in a news briefing Monday.

Asked whether the US government preferred "that Mubarak not run again," press secretary Robert Gibbs said: "The United States government does not determine who's on the ballot. The question is whether or not those elections are going to be free and fair. That's what we would weigh in on and weigh in on strongly."

More from JPost