• EGYPT
  • June 29, 2012
  • 4 minutes read

Morsi to Party Leaders: There is No Place in Modern Egypt for Conflicts or Distrust

Morsi to Party Leaders: There is No Place in Modern Egypt for Conflicts or Distrust

Egyptian President-elect Mohamed Morsi, held a meeting Thursday, at the presidential palace in Misr al Gedeeda, with political party leaders. He has already met with leaders and representatives from across the Egyptian political and social spectrum, so far including representatives from Al-Azhar and various Christian denominations, families of martyrs and the injured of the revolution as well as representatives of the youth, revolutionary, national and patriotic movements and groups.

Dr. Mohamed Morsi stressed that there is no longer in the lexicon of political action in Egypt, a place for clashes or confrontation, in the next phase.

He further stressed the importance of unified national efforts, respecting freedom of speech for all, and political practice that begins from the grassroots and presence among the people.

"Despite the tender age of the nascent democratic experiment in the Second Republic in Egypt, it is evolving fast, growing rapidly… So, I call for concerted and united efforts of all citizens to achieve real renaissance, implement Nahda project in Egypt.

Dr. Yasser Ali, acting media spokesman for Mohamed Morsi, said: "During his meeting with party leaders, the president-elect urged all to support Al-Azhar Document, which calls for the establishment of a modern civil state".

Dr. Morsi affirmed that the nation is the source of authority, and highlighted the importance of the principle of peaceful transfer and rotation of power and governance.

Dr. Morsi expressed his expectation that Egypt would soon be out of the long bottleneck, noting that he will be meeting with political parties on a regular basis, with the next meeting organized through a clear agenda to raise specific issues to be discussed in detail with guidelines as to deal with them quickly.

The spokesman pointed that party leaders were keen to congratulate Dr. Morsi as the first elected president in the history of Egypt. They said, "The first speech to the Egyptian people following the announcement of Morsi winning the post of President of the Republic touched the hearts of all Egyptians and was simple, open, and direct, and addressed the simple folk.

"During the meeting, Dr. Mohamed Abul-Ghar underscored the importance of improving the educational system as the key to progress and development, while some party leaders stressed the need to establish close relations with countries of the world."

Some attendees pointed to the challenges that have accumulated over long periods, which require concerted efforts to address them all, in order for Nahda project to succeed, while others stressed that the President-elect should have full, undiminished powers. A number of party leaders urged for speedy solutions to the problems of unemployment and the slums.

The meeting also discussed the criteria of the next prime minister who should be independent, patriotic and efficient.

Dr. Morsi stressed the importance of the man in the street appreciating the concepts of citizenry and democracy and understanding that democracy is practice and not just words.

He further affirmed that Egypt’s relations with other countries and disputes with the Nile Basin countries will be the focus of the Egyptian administration in the next phase, as well as respect for the law, supporting the independence of the judiciary and helping parties to have a leading role in the society and to engage in politics through the legal channels set by the law and the Constitution.

For his part, Dr. Ayman Nour, Ghadd Althawra Party Chairman, said that the meeting between the President-elect and Egyptian political party leaders is an important moment in the history of Egypt, as no such a meeting was held before, with such clarity and frankness, openness in communication, and the genuine desire to build real alliances between the presidential institution and the Egyptian national community represented in political parties and national groups and movements.