Essam Sharaf: New Egypt PM Addresses Tahrir Square Rally

Egypt PM Essam Sharaf Speaks at Tahrir Square

Newly-minted Egyptian Prime Minister Essam Sharaf has addressed a rally at Tahrir Square in Cairo, where he was joined by Mohammed el-Beltagy, a Muslim Brotherhood leader.

Essam Sharaf reaffirmed that he would work for the will of the people, and step down if they so wished. Sharaf said, "I take my goals from you, and I promise you, if I cannot fulfil those objectives, I will come and join you as a protester".

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The crowd had gathered tor remid the military, which is still running Egypt, that democratic elections should be forthcoming. Essam Sharaf has street cred with everyday Egyptians: he was a vocal critic of the Mubarak regime, protesting along with the crowds when he had no apparent path to power. Nominated by Mohamed ElBaradei, Sharaf replaced Ahmed Shafiq, the military's original choice for PM, as Shafiq's appointment sparked renewed protests.

Now, though, comes Sharaf's first real test: he must form a new cabinet that passes muster with the crowds who toppled Hosni Mubarak from power. March 19 is the due date for a referendum on constitutional amendments, one of which will be a two-term, eight-year limit on anyone holding the position of President.