<p>The leadership of Egypt’s ruling National Democratic Party resigned on Saturday, including Gamal Mubarak, the son of President Hosni Mubarak whose rule has been shaken by days of protests, state television said.<br /><br />Al Arabiya television said Mubarak had also resigned as head of the ruling party. <br />A party official said the resignation would not affect his position as president. “These are two different positions,” the official said.<br /><br />In its report, state television named Hossam Badrawi, the new secretary-general, seen as a member of the liberal wing of the party.<br /><br />“(The resignation) is very important politically because this party was exploiting the state for the interests of the party, and that has caused a lot of criticism,” said analyst Diaa Rashwan, adding that it had fuelled anger over corruption.<br /><br />Protesters who have rocked Egypt’s political system have complained about corruption, poverty and political repression that left power in the hands of Mubarak and his allies. “Practically, it is important because the people using violence were being mobilised by the party ... and now they have been stripped of this protection and they won’t feel secure that they have a party behind them,” Rashwan said.<br /><br />The outgoing leaders include secretary-general Safwat el-Sherif, 77, who has been powerful in the Egyptian establishment since the 1960s and is a pillar of the old guard. Sherif is also speaker of the upper house of parliament.<br /><br />Without a place in the leadership, Gamal Mubarak would no longer qualify as the party’s presidential candidate under the existing constitution.<br /><br />The party was one of the main targets of the uprising and its headquarters near Tahrir Square was gutted by fire. Bilal Fathi, 22, a member of the protest movement, said: “These are not gains for the protesters. This is a trick by the regime. This is not fulfilling our demands. These are red herrings.”<br /><br />As demonstrations entered the 12th day on Saturday, saboteurs blew up a gas pipeline in northern Egypt. <br /><br />State TV said on Saturday the pipeline that was attacked supplied both the Israeli and Jordanian gas lines.<br /><br />Residents in the area also reported a huge explosion and said flames were raging in an area near the pipeline in the El-Arish area of north Sinai.<br /><br />A security source said the Egyptian army closed the main source of gas supplying the pipeline which runs through North Sinai and state TV said the “situation is very dangerous and explosions were continuing from one spot to another.”<br /><br />“It is a big terrorist operation,” a state TV reporter said. The SITE intelligence group, which monitors al Qaeda and other Islamist websites, said earlier this week some groups had been urging Islamic militants to attack the pipeline to Israel.<br /><br />Another security source in North Sinai said it was the Jordanian branch of the pipeline that had been struck, not the one leading to Israel, blaming the attack on “foreign elements.” Israel Radio said the Egypt-Israel pipeline was not damaged, but the supply stopped as a precaution.<br /><br />“Saboteurs took advantage of the security situation and blew up the gas pipeline,” a state television correspondent said.<br /></p>
<p>The leadership of Egypt’s ruling National Democratic Party resigned on Saturday, including Gamal Mubarak, the son of President Hosni Mubarak whose rule has been shaken by days of protests, state television said.<br /><br />Al Arabiya television said Mubarak had also resigned as head of the ruling party. <br />A party official said the resignation would not affect his position as president. “These are two different positions,” the official said.<br /><br />In its report, state television named Hossam Badrawi, the new secretary-general, seen as a member of the liberal wing of the party.<br /><br />“(The resignation) is very important politically because this party was exploiting the state for the interests of the party, and that has caused a lot of criticism,” said analyst Diaa Rashwan, adding that it had fuelled anger over corruption.<br /><br />Protesters who have rocked Egypt’s political system have complained about corruption, poverty and political repression that left power in the hands of Mubarak and his allies. “Practically, it is important because the people using violence were being mobilised by the party ... and now they have been stripped of this protection and they won’t feel secure that they have a party behind them,” Rashwan said.<br /><br />The outgoing leaders include secretary-general Safwat el-Sherif, 77, who has been powerful in the Egyptian establishment since the 1960s and is a pillar of the old guard. Sherif is also speaker of the upper house of parliament.<br /><br />Without a place in the leadership, Gamal Mubarak would no longer qualify as the party’s presidential candidate under the existing constitution.<br /><br />The party was one of the main targets of the uprising and its headquarters near Tahrir Square was gutted by fire. Bilal Fathi, 22, a member of the protest movement, said: “These are not gains for the protesters. This is a trick by the regime. This is not fulfilling our demands. These are red herrings.”<br /><br />As demonstrations entered the 12th day on Saturday, saboteurs blew up a gas pipeline in northern Egypt. <br /><br />State TV said on Saturday the pipeline that was attacked supplied both the Israeli and Jordanian gas lines.<br /><br />Residents in the area also reported a huge explosion and said flames were raging in an area near the pipeline in the El-Arish area of north Sinai.<br /><br />A security source said the Egyptian army closed the main source of gas supplying the pipeline which runs through North Sinai and state TV said the “situation is very dangerous and explosions were continuing from one spot to another.”<br /><br />“It is a big terrorist operation,” a state TV reporter said. The SITE intelligence group, which monitors al Qaeda and other Islamist websites, said earlier this week some groups had been urging Islamic militants to attack the pipeline to Israel.<br /><br />Another security source in North Sinai said it was the Jordanian branch of the pipeline that had been struck, not the one leading to Israel, blaming the attack on “foreign elements.” Israel Radio said the Egypt-Israel pipeline was not damaged, but the supply stopped as a precaution.<br /><br />“Saboteurs took advantage of the security situation and blew up the gas pipeline,” a state television correspondent said.<br /></p>