- Reform Issues
- February 17, 2011
- 3 minutes read
Carter: Egyptian Military Likely to Obey Will of the People
Former US president Jimmy Carter announced he believed the Egyptian military was likely to obey the will of the people. During a seminar at the LBJ Library Carter spoke about developments in the Middle East including the uprising in Egypt that led to Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak’s ousting.
He maintained that the Egyptian military will not ignore its citizens’ demands for open elections, even if the military has an interest in retaining power as it has seen what the demonstrators have done and will most likely submit to their demands. His statement discussed recent developments in the Middle East.
Carter asserted that his foundation, the Carter Center, will be as involved as possible in bringing about successful Egyptian elections in September, adding thathe demonstrators will not accept anything less than honest, fair and open elections.
Carter, the 39th president, won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 for his work on international affairs and his efforts to promote peace, democracy and economic development in other countries.
Characterized as the president most associated with the Middle East after brokering a peace accord between Egypt and Israel in 1978, the former president asserted he believed the Muslim Brotherhood, the country’s most popular opposition, may influence Egypt in the future.
He stressed that the Brotherhood is not anything to be afraid of in the upcoming political situation in Egypt, adding that the group was genuine in its demonstration of desire for freedom and true democracy.