Egyptians angry over the slow transition to civilian rule have remained in the streets of the capital and other cities, continuing their protests despite apparent concessions offered by the country's ruling military council.

In a short speech broadcast on state media, Field Marshal Muhammed Hussein Tantawi promised that the military had no interest in staying in power and said a presidential election to replace the council as the country's ultimate executive authority would be held before July 2012, the first time Egypt's military rulers have set a deadline for the presidential vote.

However, tens of thousands of protesters remained in central Cairo's Tahrir Square late on Tuesday night, shouting "Leave! Leave!" and "The people want to bring down the field marshal".

The concessions followed four days of protests against army rule that have left 33 dead, many of them allegedly shot by live ammunition, and nearly 2,000 injured throughout the country.

Al Jazeera's Jamal Elshayyal reports from Cairo.