Egypt's vice president has opened unprecedented talks with a range of opposition factions, including the officially banned Muslim Brotherhood, on a blueprint for reforms to resolve a nearly two-week-long popular uprising against the government.

Vice President Omar Suleiman met Sunday with Brotherhood representatives, secular opposition parties and independent political figures. Senior Brotherhood leader Mohammed Mursi told the Associated Press that the Islamist group is sticking to its demand for an end to President Hosni Mubarak's 30 years in power.

The talks are the first known discussions in years between the Egyptian government and the Brotherhood, an outlawed group that provides social services to the country's poor and whose members serve in parliament as independents.

Egypt's state news agency says the participants in Sunday's talks agreed to set up a committee including judiciary members and political figures to study proposed constitutional amendments on who can run for the presidency.

Thousands of anti-government activists occupied Cairo's Tahrir Square for a 13th day Sunday, vowing to remain until Mr. Mubarak quits, and defying government appeals to clear the area and return to work.  Many protesters have said they fear the government will try to wear down their movement by enacting only superficial democratic reforms.

Mr. Mubarak has responded to the protests by pledging to step down after a presidential election due by September.  

In another apparent gesture toward the protesters, members of the ruling National Democratic Party's executive committee resigned Saturday, including Mr. Mubarak's son, Gamal.  But, the Egyptian president remains the party's chief.

Anti-Mubarak protesters in Tahrir Square rejected the NDP resignations as a meaningless gesture. But, a U.S. official called the resignations as "positive step" toward the political change Washington believes is necessary.  The official said the United States also "looks forward to additional steps" by the Egyptian government.

The United Nations estimates more than 300 people have died and thousands have been wounded in Egypt since the anti-Mubarak protests began.