Egypt has begun procedures to end the country's three-decade old state of emergency, a government spokesman said on Thursday.
The ruling army council has promised to scrap the emergency law, which gave the security forces sweeping powers to stifle dissent during the rule of former President Hosni Mubarak.
"The government has decided to start the procedures needed to end the state of emergency in coordination with the military council," cabinet spokesman Mohamed Hegazy said.
