Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi spoke with Saudi newspaper Okaz, discussing Egypt’s upcoming parliamentary elections, Ethiopia’s Grand Renaissance Dam and Syria’s Bashar Al-Assad.
In the first two sections of the interview, El-Sisi told Okaz that “international forces” thought they could establish a new regional system to give them more influence – but failed. He also praised Saudi Arabia and King Abdullah.
The third part of the extended interview was published on Wednesday.
Parliamentary elections
Okaz asked El-Sisi why he wasn’t worried about the upcoming polls bringing about “choices that can affect the future and heighten confrontations between the state and parliamentary authorities”.
El-Sisi answered that he trusts the Egyptian people and their ability to choose people who represent them and have the country’s interest at heart.
Egypt is currently without a parliament; authorities say the elections will take place before the end of this year.
The president added that there’s a segment of society that doesn’t care for Egypt’s interests – but that this segment was rejected by the Egyptian people in the 25 January 2011 and 30 June 2013 uprisings.
Okaz also asked El-Sisi whether the country is pushing forward in ensuring that the next parliament has “justice, optimism and builds Egypt on strong and solid bases” – terms that the president used to describe the two uprisings.
El-Sisi replied that “the issue is left to the choices of the people … we as a state do not interfere in these details, after the constitution has put everything on its right path.”
Syria
On Syria, El-Sisi said Egypt supports the continuity of a strong Syrian state. Egypt will also stand with the Syrian people for a better future and the prevalence of their will, he added.
On the future of Bashar Al-Assad as Syria’s president, El-Sisi said the matter is left to the Syrian people, and if people want change, it is better that it be fulfilled through a balanced political solution.
Such a solution, he said, involves reaching a deal between the Syrian regime and opposition that will achieve change through the will of the majority of the people and needs for stability.
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