In an attempt to defuse the crisis due to ongoing anti-government protests, the politburo of Egypt's ruling National Democratic Party has resigned en masse. State TV announced last evening that two key allies of President Hosni Mubarak, including his son Gamal, were stripped of their posts. State TV said, the ruling party's six-member Steering Committee of the General Secretariat stepped down and was replaced. The council was the party's highest decision-making body. Earlier, President Mubarak held talks with his ministers to try to revive the economy. The shakeup of the ruling party’s senior positions is seen as a step towards the direction of resolving the crisis and calm down the situation in the country. The new appointments to the body are largely young figures, which analysts feel, reflects the mood of change that is sweeping the country. Gamal Mubarak, who was a member of the Steering Committee, widely seen as being groomed by his father Hosni Mubarak to succeed him as president. But Vice President Omar Suleiman promised earlier in the week that Gamal would not run for president in elections due in September. Analysts point out that the decision would reinforce protestors resolve and increase their confidence because it shows that the regime is retreating bit by bit. Meanwhile, protests continued at Tahrir square in Cairo seeking the ouster of President Mubarak. The duration of curfew has been shortened. In a separate development, unknown saboteurs attacked the gas pipeline supplying gas to Jordan in the Sheikh Zuwayed area of the Sinai Peninsula near the Gaza Strip. Officials say that the army has taken precautionary measures to stop the fire from spreading and rescue services are putting out the fire.