Mubarak to Step Down Before Elections in September

Mubarak Confirms He Won't Seek Re-Election in Egypt

CFRA, CNN
Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has has announced he will not seek re-election in September.

"There have been a lot of mixed signals" over the past week, said one official, but such an announcement would be "a significant step in the right direction."

The official said the White House has made clear "at the highest levels" that it wanted Mubarak to state that neither he nor his son, Gamal, would be a presidential candidate in the next elections set for September.

Mubarak's decision comes as Egypt teeters on a political precipice and it's unclear whether it will satisfy angry and frustrated demonstrators who want his immediate removal. Many vowed Tuesday not to leave Cairo's central square until Mubarak steps down.