Nazif promises Bush free presidential elections in Egypt

In conclusion of Bush- Nazif meeting in Washington on Wednesday evening the Egyptian prime minister Ahmad Nazif promised the presidential elections to be held in Egypt in September to be free and just.

Nazif said in statements in the White House where the meeting was held that the American president gave his "recommendations" to this effect and expressed hope that Egypt to be an example to be followed in the Middle East. Nazif considered that Egypt can have its own special democracy that can be accepted by the world.

The Egyptian prime minister defended the continued acts of detentions in the lines of the Muslim Brothers group and other opposition movements for the rule of President Mubarak, adding that these acts target what he called acts of riots.

For his part, the spokesman for the White House, Scott McClellan said that Bush urged during his meeting with Nazif permitting UN observers to monitor the elections. A matter which Cairo rejects. He added that the president called for moving forward towards making free elections and to permit full elections campaigns.