Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak announced Tuesday that he will not run in the country’s presidential election this September, signaling the final days of his decades long rule.
In a television address, Mubarak said that he intends to complete his term, but will reorient the government to focus on democratic reforms.
The President’s announcement comes after several moves to quell a week of mass protests that have taken place across Egypt. On Friday, Mubarak said that he would be dismissing his ministers and shortly after he appointed the first Vice President since he assumed office.
The protests that would spell the end to Mubarak’s reign came on the heels of similar bouts of unrest across the Arab world, including in Jordan, Tunisia and Yemen.
Mubarak assumed office after the assassination of his predecessor Anwar Sadat in 1981.