STEVE INSKEEP, Host: President Hosni Mubarak did say that he would hand over some powers to his new vice president, but insisted he would not be stepping down from the presidency now or leaving Egypt.</s>HOSNI MUBARAK: (Through translator) I will not separate from the soil until I'm buried underneath.</s>STEVE INSKEEP, Host: That's Mubarak speaking through an interpreter. He intends to remain president, he says, until elections in September. Mubarak said that stepping down now would be bowing to foreign pressure.</s>HOSNI MUBARAK: (Through translator) I cannot and will not accept to be dictated orders from outside, no matter what the source is and no matter what the excuses or justifications are.</s>STEVE INSKEEP, Host: By the way, Egypt's military put out a communique today making the same promise, effectively saying that the emergency law would end after the protesters go home. We should point out, though, that Mubarak pledged to end the emergency law in 2006 and later renewed it.</s>STEVE INSKEEP, Host: We'll continue following this story throughout the morning and throughout the day. You'll hear the latest right here on MORNING EDITION from NPR News.
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has announced he would hand over some powers to the vice president. But he said to step down from the presidency, would be giving in to foreign pressure.