Cairo:
Egypt's embattled President Hosni Mubarak has said he wants to leave office, but fears that the country would descend into chaos if he resigns.
"I am fed up with being President and would like to leave office now, but cannot for fear that the country would sink into chaos," the 82-year-old President who has been in power since 1981 was quoted as saying by ABC News.
In his interview to the TV news network, Mubarak blamed the main opposition party Muslim Brotherhood for the recent anti-government protests in the country, and said his government was not responsible for it.
"I am troubled by the violence we have seen in Tahrir Square over the last few days but the government is not responsible for it", ABC News quoted the President.
When asked about the violence that his supporters launched against anti-government protestors in Cairo's Tahrir Square, the epicentre of anti-government demonstrations, Mubarak said, "I was very unhappy about yesterday. I do not want to see Egyptians fighting each other."
"I don't care what people say about me. Right now I care about my country, I care about Egypt," Mubarak said as violence escalated on the 10th day of wave of protests across the country. Egypt government officials say 13 people have been killed and 1200 have been injured in the clashes so far, but there are fears that the number could be a lot higher.
The Egyptian President said he felt relieved after delivering the speech on Monday when he said he would not run for President again.
On the possibility of his son Gamal being his successor, Mubarak said it was never his intention to have his son follow him into office, ABC reported.
Pledging his loyalty to Egypt, he said, "I would never run away, I will die on this soil."
This was Mubarak's first TV interview since anti-government protests began 10 days ago across Egypt.
"I am fed up with being President and would like to leave office now, but cannot for fear that the country would sink into chaos," the 82-year-old President who has been in power since 1981 was quoted as saying by ABC News.
In his interview to the TV news network, Mubarak blamed the main opposition party Muslim Brotherhood for the recent anti-government protests in the country, and said his government was not responsible for it.
"I am troubled by the violence we have seen in Tahrir Square over the last few days but the government is not responsible for it", ABC News quoted the President.
When asked about the violence that his supporters launched against anti-government protestors in Cairo's Tahrir Square, the epicentre of anti-government demonstrations, Mubarak said, "I was very unhappy about yesterday. I do not want to see Egyptians fighting each other."
"I don't care what people say about me. Right now I care about my country, I care about Egypt," Mubarak said as violence escalated on the 10th day of wave of protests across the country. Egypt government officials say 13 people have been killed and 1200 have been injured in the clashes so far, but there are fears that the number could be a lot higher.
The Egyptian President said he felt relieved after delivering the speech on Monday when he said he would not run for President again.
On the possibility of his son Gamal being his successor, Mubarak said it was never his intention to have his son follow him into office, ABC reported.
Pledging his loyalty to Egypt, he said, "I would never run away, I will die on this soil."
This was Mubarak's first TV interview since anti-government protests began 10 days ago across Egypt.
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