Hosni delegates all powers to Suleiman

The Egyptian ambassador to the US Sameh Shoukry told the CNN later Thursday afternoon that Hosni Mubarak has delegated all powers of the president to to vice-president Omar Suleiman. Yashwant Raj reports.

The Egyptian ambassador to the US Sameh Shoukry told the CNN later Thursday afternoon that Hosni Mubarak has delegated all powers of the president to to vice-president Omar Suleiman.

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Mubarak is only the de jure president, Suleiman is the de facto president. All presidential powers now stand transfered to Suleiman. Except three: to dismiss the parliament, change the constitution and and fire the cabinet.

Who can? No one for now, Shaukry told CNN.

This puts in perspective as the US administration and the media speculated on exactly what Mubarak's speech to the nation meant.

US administration had earlier let it be known that it had been told that Mubarak will be stepping down by he end of the day. When that did not come through clearly in Mubarak's speech, there was disappointement to put it mildly.

Shoukry told the CNN that the same position is being communicated to the US administration.