ElBaradei and the Brotherhood, as we saw here, want Mubarak to go before they enter into any talks. In Jordan, however, the King is meeting with the leaders of the Islamic Action Front. In both countries, the dominant opposition force is made up of pro-Sharia forces.
“Egypt PM begins talks with Opposition,” from Sify News, February 3:
Cairo, Feb 3 (IANS/RIA Novosti) Egypt’s new prime minister Ahmed Shafiq and vice president Omar Suleiman have started talks with the Egyptian opposition political leaders to overcome the current crisis, state television said Thursday.
Some opposition parties, participating in the rally at Tahrir Square in downtown Cairo, have agreed to hold a dialogue with the country’s authorities, media reports said Thursday evening.
Embattled Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak appointed civil aviation minister, Ahmed Shafiq, and intelligence chief Omar Suleiman as the new prime minister and vice president, respectively, Saturday.
Mubarak urged them to start negotiations with the opposition as soon as possible to return the country to peace.
Egypt’s leading opposition figure and critic of Mubarak, Mohammed ElBaradei, has refused to hold talks with the government until the veteran president steps down.
The opposition has dismissed a pledge by Mubarak to demit his office by the end of his official term in September. They are instead demanding his immediate resignation….
“Jordan king to meet Islamist opposition,” from AFP, February 3 (thanks to Twostellas):
AMMAN — Jordan’s King Abdullah II was to meet on Thursday with Islamic Action Front (IAF) leaders, who are pushing for more political and economic reform, the party said.
“The meeting with the king was scheduled to start at 2:00 pm (1200 GMT) on Thursday,” said an IAF leader.
A Jordanian official told AFP on Monday that the king planned to meet with the IAF as part of his efforts to address grievances of Jordanians amid popular discontent….