Start transition process now: US Senate to Mubarak

US Senate has unanimously passed a resolution asking embattled Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to immediately initiate the process of orderly political transition and enact necessary reforms for credible elections this year.

"Tonight, the United States Senate stands unanimously with the Egyptian people and speaks with a bipartisan voice in condemning the violence. This resolution makes clear that President Mubarak needs to immediately begin an orderly and peaceful transition to a democratic political system," Sentor John Kerry said.

The resolution was introduced by Kerry, Chairman of Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Senator John McCain, Ranking Member of Senate Armed Services Committee.

"The Egyptian people are demanding a new political structure and President Mubarak has a responsibility to respond with actions that will bring an end to the brutality on the streets of Cairo and elsewhere and put his country on a path to genuine political, economic and social reforms," he said.

Echoing Kerry's view, senator McCain said "The Egyptian people are demanding a democratic future, and they deserve nothing less. Through this resolution, the US Senate expresses its full support for the peaceful aspirations and the universal human rights of the men and women of Egypt.

He appealed to Egyptians to reject violence and pledge themselves to the hard work of building a "peace-loving" democracy in Egypt.

The resolution condemns any efforts to provoke or instigate violence, and calls upon all parties to refrain from all violent and criminal acts. It also supports freedom of the press and strongly condemns the intimidation, targeting or detention of journalists.

The resolution seeks Egyptian military to demonstrate maximum professionalism and restraint.

The Senate asks Mubarak to immediately begin an orderly transition to a democratic political system, including the transfer of power to an inclusive interim caretaker government, in coordination with leaders from Egypt's opposition, civil society, and military.

It also seeks Egyptian government to lift the state of emergency, allowing people to organise independent political parties without interference, enhancing the transparency of governmental institutions, restoring judicial supervision of elections, allowing credible international monitors to observe the preparation and conduct of elections and amending the laws and Constitution of Egypt as necessary to implement these critical reforms.

The resolution also expressed deep concern over any organisation that espouses an extremist ideology, including the Muslim Brotherhood, and called upon all political in Egypt to affirm their commitment to non-violence.