Rice calls for free elections in Egypt, meets opposition figures
Egypt-USA, Politics, 6/21/2005

The US Secretary Of State Condaleezza Rice renewed her call for having free and transparent elections in Egypt, following her meeting with the Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in Sharm al-Sheikh on Friday.

She said in a press conference with her Egyptian counterpart Ahmad Abu al-Gheit that she had discussed with Mubarak arrangements for the Egyptian presidential elections due in September, noting the need of allowing the opportunity for the opposition to express themselves in the media and to allow competition there.

Rice expressed her conviction that the Egyptian officials will shoulder their responsibilities in this regard, seriously. She explained that "Egypt had led this region in several issues, and we are looking to that the Egyptian people will play a big role in leading reforms in the region." The Egyptian foreign minister, for his part, vowed that the elections will be transparent and free and to be supervised by international observers.

However, Rice's visit to Egypt is of a special importance especially in light of the political mood among the Egyptian public and the growing of the opposition movement which demands genuine reforms following the change in the presidential elections law.

In addition to the official talks, Rice's program includes meeting with several leaders of Egyptian reform advocates and leaders in Cairo. They are expected to demand Rice to increase pressure for the sake of political freedom.

Among persons Rice will be meeting are the chairman of al-Ghad party Ayman Nour, Munri Fakhri Abdul Nour, the deputy chairman of the opposition liberal al-Wafd party, Hicham Qasem the deputy for the chairman of al-Ghad party and chairman of the Egyptian organization for human rights and the chairman of Cairo center for human rights Bahr Eddine Hassan.

The Egyptian movement for the change "Kefayah" ( enough) said that its coordinator George Ishaq was invited to the meeting but he did not attend. Invitations to meet with Rice were not extended to the main Egyptian opposition groups, namely the Egyptian Muslim Brothers, which had repeatedly announced via statements of its leaders doubts on Washington's intentions when talking about democracy in the Arab states.

Prior to this meeting, Rice will deliver at the American University in Cairo an important political lecture concentrating on democracy and reform.

Previous Stories:
  Egypt: Rice's visit to be successful   (6/15/2005)
  Egyptian newspaper criticizes US policy   (5/31/2005)
  Bush criticizes the Egyptian government attacks of peaceful demonstrators   (5/27/2005)

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