IN AN ANNOUNCEMENT to the Egyptian nation last night, President Hosni Mubarak  refused to step down, saying that he would not bend to “diktats from abroad”.

Mubarak said that he would stay in power until the scheduled general election in September, as he had previously stated, but added that in the meantime he would delegate some powers to his Vice-President, Omar Suleiman, the BBC reports.

Mubarak’s televised address was widely expected to be an announcement of his retirement, and his speech was met with fury in Tahrir Square in central Cairo – the epicentre of anti-government protests for over two weeks, CNN reports.

The military has said that it will “protect the nation” – and the Muslim Brotherhood has raised questions of whether a military coup is occurring behind the scenes, as the army has been holding meetings without Mubarak being present.

The reaction of the crowds in central Cairo tomorrow, a holy day, will be pivotal – as will the army’s reaction.