Egypt's military rulers have announced that parliamentary elections set for next week will he held on schedule despite the growing unrest. The military also rejected protesters' demands that it immediately transfer power. They justified their position, saying that to step down now would amount to a "betrayal" of the people's trust, arguing that the military took over from ousted president Hosni Mubarak by popular demand.

Major General Mukhtar El-Mallah, Member of Military Council, said: " We should focus now on the elections, as that is the first step towards democracy, not protests, regardless of whether they are anti or pro military council. We should work together. Thus, I am calling on the Egyptian people, who care about their country, to focus on goals and not on protests and slogans."