Mubarak grants an interview to 'El Pais' Newspaper
Egypt-Spain, Politics, 5/29/2000

In an interview with the Spanish Newspaper "El Pais", President Hosni Mubarak said that the Lebanese do not want to sign a separate peace agreement with Israel.

President Mubarak does not expect the Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon to have any effect on Syria. For numerous domestic considerations, the Israeli government has decided to withdraw from south Lebanon without signing an agreement, the president told the Paper on the eve of his arrival to the Spanish capital for a three-day visit.

Israel withdrew hastily, as it had actually planned for July, but the withdrawal was carried out in record time, the President said.

On the Palestinian front, President Mubarak said that Egypt coordinated with all parties to settle this problem and affirmed that the establishment of a Palestinian state was inevitable, whether Israel liked it or not.

Regarding terrorism in Egypt and ways to confront it, the President said that the application of the law was the best way to fight terrorism and for the people to feel secure.

Egypt applies the emergency law only in the fight against terrorism, he added.

Asked by "Pais" correspondent at the presidential headquarters in Cairo if he expected the Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon to threaten the stability of the region, President Mubarak denied it adding that the withdrawal had made the Lebanese very happy.

The President expressed belief that the Israeli withdrawal from south Lebanon will not undermine the Tel Aviv-Damascus dialogue because the Syrians had announced that they planned to keep the channels of dialogue with Israel open.

The Lebanese do not want to sign a unilateral peace agreement with Israel, but the Israeli government, due to various domestic considerations, decided to leave Lebanon without signing any agreement, and this is why the withdrawal was so hasty, he said.

Lebanon is now free and finally the Lebanese can move without any obstacles, he added.

Asked if the Israeli withdrawal had created a power vacuum in the area especially that the Lebanese army had not yet taken charge of matters and the international forces had not yet redeployed themselves, President Mubarak said that the UN forces had to go there to tell the Lebanese that the borders will not be violated.

Thus, no party will accuse the other of disrespecting UNSC Resolution 425, he added.

President Mubarak said the Lebanese government intended to send police and armed forces to monitor the situation but added that it needed time.

The Stockholm negotiations between Palestinians and Israelis, President Mubarak said, are not secret at all because the press leaves nothing secret.

Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat can open a secret dialogue, but in no time it turns public, the President added.

Barak is trying to make progress on the peace track, especially with the Palestinians, despite the difficulties he faces from his government when it comes to withdrawal from some Arab lands, the President said.

Egypt does its utmost with Israelis and Americans and cooperates with all parties, it has helped Palestinians and has good relations with Israel. Therefore , we try to explain to the Israeli government and various parties in Israel that they must come together with the Palestinians if they want stability," President Mubarak added.

"The government in the fight against terrorism only uses the emergency law that some extremists were trying to exploit outside against Egypt", President Mubarak said.

"When we tried to pass an antiterrorism bill at the People's Assembly, they said they cannot endorse a special law for this purpose because it will become a permanent law, and this is why the Assembly Members accepted to extend the emergency law, which we only use to fight terrorism," Mubarak added.

Asked on the election of a new parliament in September and guarantees that the incidents and interference in the 1995 elections are not repeated, the President said that the government does not at all interfere in the elections.

Even before the 1952 revolution when Egypt was a kingdom there were problems, it is part of human nature, the President said.

"In the previous elections, the government did not interfere at all," Mubarak added.

The President denied that the closure last week of the labor Party reflected government interference before the start of the legislative elections.

Anybody can be part of the elections and can nominate himself as an independent candidate without the cover of a party, even members of the Muslim brotherhood, who are not a legal group, can run for the elections as independent candidates, the President added.

The Egyptian government committed itself in the early nineties to the process of economic privatization that led some analysts to term Egypt as the tiger of the Nile, the Pais correspondent told the President.

"We do not want to be tigers," Mubarak said. Asked why the process was slowing down, he said it was not, adding that Egypt was proceeding with privatization but that it was not in a hurry pending the settlement of related problems for example the sale of a public sector company with financial losses. But Egypt remains committed to privatization, he added.

Regarding delaying the endorsement of the Egyptian-European partnership agreement, the President said that many points that are not clear. Once Egypt receives the answers, it will sign the agreement, the President added.

Asked about Egyptian-Spanish economic ties, the Mubarak said his visit to Spain is a state visit, and he will be accompanied by five ministers to examine issues in the railway transportation field, oil and natural gas adding that he also hoped to tackle the sphere of advanced technology.

" Egypt and Spain have good relations and a short time ago, Spain extended to Egypt a loan worth $ 300 million, Mubarak said.

When the "Pais" correspondent thanked the President for the interview, and was ready to leave, President Mubarak asked : what about the succession question?

"Your advisors asked me not to raise it," the journalist answered. "Let me make it clear to you," the president said. "We are not a monarchy, this is the Republic of Egypt and I cannot be compared to other countries in the region, we cannot decide on the succession according to our whims, because it is the constitution that determines it, President Mubarak added.

If the President is not reelected, the constitution says that two-thirds of the People's Assembly must endorse the new candidate, the President said. Whoever receives no less than two-thirds of the People's Assembly vote, must undergo a public referendum and if no agreement is reached, the process is repeated, President Mubarak elaborated.

"If I say that this man is my successor, the people might refuse him," the president concluded.

Previous Stories:
  Mubarak¹s visit to Spain to deepen bilateral relations   (5/27/2000)
  Mubarak visits Spain on Monday   (5/26/2000)
  Ebeid addresses people's assembly on policy statement   (3/27/2000)

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