Former US President Jimmy Carter.

The Statesman – The Egyptian military won’t ignore its citizens’ demands for open elections, even if the military has an interest in keeping power, former President Jimmy Carter said Tuesday at a University of Texas lecture.

It was the first time Carter has spoken publicly about recent developments in the Middle East, including the uprising in Egypt that led to Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak’s resignation. Since the successful uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt, citizens in several other countries in the region — including Iran, Libya and Bahrain — also have staged protests in hopes of creating revolutions, demanding dramatic changes to government.