20110208
xinhua

CAIRO (Reuters) - The mass revolt against President Hosni Mubarak's rule has shaken the civilian pillars of his rule: the police force, the ruling party and state media.

In the short term at least, the blows dealt to all three institutions will make it harder for Mubarak's administration to assert the level of control it exercised just a few weeks ago.

The army now has a decisive say over the country's fate for the first time in decades.

The police force still appears in disarray nearly two weeks after it largely dissolved in the face of the protests, leaving a vacuum that was filled by looting and vigilantes. The Interior Minister has been sacked and is under investigation.

The entire leadership of the National Democratic Party (NDP) resigned on Saturday, including politicians who had served Mubarak for decades. With Mubarak due to step down in September at the latest, some wonder whether it will survive at all.

And the credibility of state media, fiercely loyal to Mubarak, is in tatters. Its attempts to ignore or misrepresent the uprising that has paralysed the country appeared surreal to the many viewers with access to satellite channels.

At least two journalists have walked out.

To the protesters in Tahrir Square, the steps against the NDP and change at the top of the Interior Ministry appear no more than tactical moves to absorb popular anger.