Obama hopes Mubarak will make 'right decision'

Lalit K Jha Washington, Feb 5 (PTI) As uncertainty gripped Egypt,
US President Barack Obama has delivered a clear hint to Hosni
Mubarak to step down by listening to his people and make the
"right decision".
Calling for immediate start of an "orderly transition"
in Egypt, where tens of thousands of people are rallying for
ouster of Mubarak, Obama said the Egyptian strongman should
reconsider his position amid a mass uprising.
"In order for Egypt to have a bright future, the only
thing that will work is moving an orderly transition process
that begins right now that engages all parties, leads to
democratic practises, fair and free elections, and
representative government that is responsive to the grievances
of the Egyptian people," Obama said during his joint
interaction with visiting Canadian Prime Minister Stephen
Harper.
As unrest escalated in the North African nation, Obama
had telephonic talk on the situation with Turkish Prime
Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
"He (Mubarak) needs to listen to what is being voiced
by the Egyptian people, and make a judgement about the way
forward that is orderly, but that is meaningful and serious,"
the US president said.
Though Obama did not explicitly say that Mubarak
should leave power immediately, but his choice of words made
it clear that Washington is pinning for an immediate political
transition in Egypt that does not include Mubarak.
Obama's message for change came as the New York Times
quoting top US officials reported that US is pushing for Vice
President Omar Sulaiman to head a new transition government
backed by the army.
Egypt's Prime Minster Ahmed Shafiq, however, ruled out
a possibility that Mubarak would hand over or transfer power
to Sulaiman.
Obama said since Mubarak has himself announced he is
not going to be running again, he should be thinking on how to
leave a legacy behind in which Egypt is able to get through
this trans formative period.
Terming the Egyptian President as a proud patriot,
Obama said he has suggested Mubarak that he needs to consult
with those who are in his government.
"Having made that psychological break, that decision
that he will not be running again, I think its most important
for him to ask himself, for the Egyptian government to ask
itself as well as the opposition to ask itself is, how do we
make the transition effective, lasting and legitimate?" Obama
said.
During each of his conversations with Mubarak, Obama
said he emphasised the fact that the future of Egypt is going
to be in the hands of Egyptians.