The appointments have failed to quell the protests as both appointments have come from within Mubarak's inner circle.
Appointed as vice president is Omar Suleiman, who is chief of Egyptian intelligence, a position he has held since 1991. Suleiman is popular with the Egyptian people and is also believed to have strong ties to the military. When Mubarak was pushing for his son Gamal, a non-military businessman, to succeed him, Egyptians generally, rallied around Suleiman. A major disadvantage is that he is aged 73.
Suleiman has a good relationship with the U.S. and Israel, and is widely respected by the Palestinians.
Until now Mubarak has refused to name a vice president and this move along could help to stem the momentum, which otherwise continues to build. Mubarak himself was vice president to Anwar Sadat, and assumed power when Sadat was assassinated in 1981 after Sadat agreed to relations with Israel.
Ahmed Shafik, a minister from the cabinet that was sacked by Mubarak on Friday, came back through a revolving door on Saturday as he was appointed the country's new prime minister.
Meantime the Egyptian army has started using live ammunition against protesters. Previously they had relied on rubber bullets, water cannons and batons. Tanks were also rolling into various parts of the city including Tahir Square.
Police and security forces fired on protesters outside the headquarters of the Interior Ministry on Saturday. Five people were shot dead. State TV says 38 people have been killed during the protesters. Arabic TV channel al-Jazeera, using incident counts from its correspondents, puts the toll at seventy two.
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