Testimony by Ahmed Fahmi, Egyptian Upper House Speaker, Regarding General Sisi’s Claims

Historical Testimony by Dr. Ahmed Fahmi, Speaker of the Shura Council (Egypt’s Upper House of Parliament):

I deliberately did not speak of what took place in the corridors of Egyptian politics before the military coup that overthrew democratic legitimacy, usurped power and forced the army into politics, where it is not supposed to go, until General Al-Sisi spoke yesterday (Wednesday July 24), and it his speech mentioned me as a witness to his attempts to resolve the crisis before July 30, which were supposedly rejected by the legitimate elected President.

Since the legitimate President has been abducted, and cannot reply to General Sisi’s allegations, it became my legal and patriotic duty to tell what I indeed saw, heard and participated in, so as to highlight the truth to the Egyptian public.

At ten in the morning on July 3, 2013, Major General Mamdouh Shahin telephoned me, and asked about what General Sisi will say to people when he talks to them – whether he would apologize for the deadline he had previously announced to political actors and leave them to sort things together?

I told Shahin that I did not know what Sisi would say, since I did not meet him. An appointment was then set for me to meet Sisi at eleven in the morning that same day.

When I went to meet Sisi, he asked me: “What do you have to say?” I told him, “You’re the one who contacted me. What do you want to tell me?”

He said: “We want to hold a referendum on the presidency, in two or three weeks”.

I told Sisi, “It’s too short time, which may result in a power vacuum. I believe that, instead, the Cabinet could be changed, with you as its head, in addition to the Ministry of Defense. Then, parliamentary elections can be held, with you still at the helm, since the majority of people trust you. The elected House of Representatives should form a government from the party or parties of the majority. Then, a referendum on the presidency can be called or early presidential elections can be held. Thus, you avoid a power vacuum”.

Sisi replied that, “This solution is too lengthy. We want to hold a referendum in two or three weeks?”

I said: “You are a man of strategies. You must have other alternatives and options, not just one”.

He said: “This is the only option, the masses demand this. I cannot wait any longer”.

I told him that this solution is not satisfactory, and that the images of the demonstrations published in the newspapers show only opposition protest images, while no pictures were published of demonstrations in support for the constitutional legitimacy.

I then went to President Morsi and told him what took place between me and General Sisi. He agreed to everything that I mentioned to Sisi to ensure the stability of the country by electing the Parliament and the Cabinet first.

Then, I contacted Major General Mamdouh Shahin, and told him about my conversation with the President and his consent to the suggestion of electing the Parliament and the Cabinet first, and then calling a referendum on the presidency or early presidential elections. I asked Shahin to tell this to General Sisi, which he promised to do.

Then, they mounted the military coup that overthrew legitimacy, suspended the Constitution, kidnapped the President and kept him incommunicado in an undisclosed location until now, and then issued an illegitimate decree to dissolve the Shura Council (Egypt’s only legislature).

Cairo: July 25, 2013