Arafat is legitimate president democratically elected by Palestinians
Egypt-Palestine, Politics, 5/9/2002

"Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat is the Legitimate President democratically elected by Palestinians," Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher said Tuesday.

Arafat is a man of peace, the Egyptian top diplomat emphatically said.

Maher warned against any attempt to encroach on Arafat's position by democratic braggarts pretending to be the nationals of the world's most democratic state.

He said that attempts against Arafat by those make-belief democrats are just an addition to their aggression on the Palestinians and an evidence proving that they do not at all believe in the people's right to choose their leadership in the same way as they do not believe in international legitimacy and in the United Nations Charter and International treaties.

It is ironic enough to witness those whom the entire world testifies to their brutality and who used all their powers to destroy the infrastructure of an embryonic state to be so daring.

As to take the podium and start preaching and lecturing others, The minister said.

"They are just wolves in sheep clothing.

Their actions have betrayed them and their stands have blown up their Cover, " he added.

On his comment on recent US statements on Arafat's position, Maher said that he just "considers these statements as a slip of the tongue.

"It is just one of several other slips of the tongue made by the Americans, he said.

He said that there are two reasons that make him come to this notion.

The first is that these statements came to contradict other statements by the US administration that regard Arafat as the necessary partner in any effort to build peace and realise all-out security.

The second is that Arafat is a Palestinian leader who advocates peace for both his people and the Israelis and Whose calls for realsing regional peace can never be missed.

Maher said that Egypt has always been an adamant believer of a just, balanced and unshaken peace.

Therefore, Egypt is more than willing to help, in unison with other international powers, particularly the US, EU, UN and Russia, to devise a proper mechanism to realise a just and final regional peace settlement, He said.

Speaking about present considerations to hold an international conference on Middle East peace, the Minister said that holding an international conference is not the end; it is a means to an end.

Everything must be clear from the start, if such a conference is ever to be held, he said.

Maher deems it highly imperative for the success of such an important conference to have everything clearly set out from the very beginning.

His list of imperatives includes everything, from the conference's targets up to its terms of reference and formation. It is also a must to guarantee that it would not be used as a place for pompous talk and forsaking thin commitment towards peace.

Previous Stories:
  UN Security Council required to follow up on Israel's war crimes, Baz   (5/6/2002)
  Al-Baz, Maher voice solidarity for the Palestinians   (5/6/2002)
  SC turned its back on Annan over fact-finding mission   (5/4/2002)

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