Al-Jazeera: Nazif discusses reform in Washington

The Egyptian prime minister Ahmad Nazif held in Cairo, in the course of discussing the file of reform with the American administration, held talks in Washington with the US secretary of state Condaleezza Rice prior to his meeting on Wednesday with the US President George W. Bush.

In exclusive statements to al-Jazeera TV, Nazif said that Cairo has not decided yet the issue of the American special request to delegate international observers for the presidential elections. He explained that this issue is still under debate.

Nazif's visit to Washington coincides with the clear political move for the opposition which on Tuesday announced boycotting for the newly introduced constitutional changes. In this regard, three main Egyptian parties including the Muslim Brothers group called on the Egyptian people to boycott the referendum due on May 25 to approve amending the constitution that allows introducing more than one candidate for the presidential elections.

The Muslim Brothers group joined the call to each of the al-Wafd, al-Tajamu' and al-Naseri ( Naserite) parties to the Egyptian people to boycott the referendum and to stay home that day.

Egypt's Minister of Shura Council Affairs, Moufid Shehab, said all Egyptians on Wednesday have a duty to express their opinions in the referendum on the amendment of Article 76 of the Constitution on May 25, and that Egyptian citizens should be well aware of the importance of their participation in the election process, pointing out that the amendment of the Constitution would usher in a new era of democracy in Egypt.