Archive for press conference

Libya vows to arrest perpetrators of Egyptian-run church bombing

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December 31st, 2012

Libyan authorities vowed on Monday to investigate the Sunday bombing of an Egyptian-run Coptic church in the coastal city of Misrata and pledged to arrest the perpetrators.

Two Egyptians were killed and two others wounded in a explosion on Sunday at the church.

In a joint press conference with the Libyan national security chief, the chairman of the Misrata local council called on religious leaders in the country to take responsibility for raising awareness about the attack.

The council chairman, Salim Beit Al-Mal, said that the council will cover the costs of repairing damage to the church. 

Libyan public prosecution had been notified to conduct the investigation into the bombing, Al-Mal said.

Meanwhile, Interior Minister Ashour Shawayel called for cooperation of legal and criminal authorities in working to investigate the bombing and arrest the perpetrators.

Priest Timotheus Bishara, leader of the Egyptian Orthodox Church in Tripoli, said that the two injured in the bombing are in stable condition.

Edited translation from MENA

 

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Egypt not on verge of bankruptcy, says PM

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December 30th, 2012

Prime Minister Hesham Qandil said Sunday that although the country's economic situation is "difficult and critical," the country is not going bankrupt.

“Countries don’t go bankrupt, but only companies do,” Qandil said at a press conference.

He said that the Cabinet would quickly take measures to address major economic challenges such as high unemployment and the gaping budget deficit, and promised to provide new job opportunities and improve the investment climate.

“The recent political crisis the country has been through [has] negatively affected the economy, tourism and foreign investments,” he added.

Qandil said that the budget deficit is one of the biggest challenges facing the government, adding that it will be resolved through increasing state profits, acquiring loans, reforming subsidies and fighting corruption.

The deficit is estimated at LE200 billion (US$27.5 billion).

Qandil said the Cabinet would hold talks with International Monetary Fund officials in January over the $4.8 billion loan that the government and the IMF reached an agreement on in November. The government requested a delay in final approval of the loan earlier this month during the unrest sparked by President Mohamed Morsy's controversial 22 November decree.

He said that the loan’s value is in the confidence boost it will give to the economy, not in the loan's amount, which will not cover the deficit.
 

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Egypt against military intervention in Syria, says minister

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December 28th, 2012

Egypt and Russia object to military intervention in Syria, Foreign Minister Kamel Amr said at a press conference in Moscow on Friday.

“We believe change will come to Syria, undoubtedly. There should be controlled change that preserves unity in Syria and the multiple sects of the Syrian people,” Amr said, speaking alongside his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov.

The Syrian opposition and revolution coalition is currently based in Cairo. Amr added that Egypt is in contact with the group to draw plans for change and democratic reform.

Egypt’s stance has been clear since the crisis erupted two years ago, the minister said, and though Egypt is against military intervention, it believes the current Syrian leadership will have no place in Syria due to the continuous killing taking place there.

Lavrov said that Syrians have expressed that they are ready for dialogue, and that a real evaluation of the situation in Syria could force the opposition to start a discussion.

Edited translation from MENA

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Govt human rights body calls for investigating referendum violations

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December 25th, 2012

The National Council for Human Rights (NCHR) on Tuesday called on the authorities to investigate violations and irregularities during the referendum and devise mechanisms to respond to complaints forwarded by civil society organizations.

The councils’ researchers said during a press conference Tuesday that the council had issued 50,000 authorizations for organizations and observers to supervise the referendum.

It has relayed 1,073 complaints to the High Judicial Elections Commission, including delayed opening of polling stations, influencing voters inside and outside stations, early closing of stations, collective voting and impeding observers.

Mohamed al-Damaty, head of the elections support unit, denounced sharp criticism of the council. “We spotted more violations than other observers,” he said.

Damaty also denied licensing, selectively, members of the Freedom and Justice Party, the political arm of the Muslim Brotherhood group, while disallowing others from observing the voting.

His colleague, Brotherhood lawyer Abdel Moneim Abdel Maqsoud, said there were fewer violations than in the referendum of March 2011 and the previous parliamentary elections.

“The referendum was successful in general and there was no violence,” Aswat Masriya, news website affiliated with Reuters news agency, quoted Abdel Maqsoud as saying.

The Islamist-backed constitution was put for referendum on two stages on 15 and 22 December. Several rights groups reported violations during the voting process, especially campaigners for and against the document trying to influence voters.

The opposition says the constitution, drafted mostly by President Mohamed Morsy’s Islamist allies, fails to guarantee personal freedoms and the rights of women and minorities. It says charter will lead to more problems in the most populous Arab nation.

Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
 

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Sabbahi invited us for dialogue, says Jama’a al-Islamiya

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December 24th, 2012

A leading figure in Jama'a al-Islamiya’s Construction and Development Party said Monday that former presidential candidate Hamdeen Sabbahi invited the group for a dialogue.

At a press conference, Safwat Abdel Ghany, who was recently appointed to the Shura Council by President Mohamed Morsy, said the group agreed to the dialogue and informed the Popular Current Party founder of its acceptance.

The group and the party also launched during the press conference an initiative entitled “Dialogue for the Homeland,” which it said is intended to contribute to a better future for the country.

The group called on Morsy to invite all political forces to the dialogue to discuss the articles of the constitution that need to be amended.

“We aim to end the state of polarization between the Islamist forces and the liberal and leftist forces,” said Tarek al-Zomor, the group’s spokesperson. “And we want to put Egypt on the right track.”

In response to a question on reported violations during the constitutional referendum, Zomor said the High Judicial Elections Commission would consider any complaints. “Democracy may be new to us,” he said, “but this does not mean the referendum was rigged deliberately.”

He appealed to all political forces who contributed to the current state of polarization among Egyptians to apologize to the people.

Zomor thanked the Egyptian people for disregarding attempts to incite them to violence and for approving the new constitution. He also thanked the Armed Forces and the police for their role in securing the referendum.

Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
 

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Women’s council head claims ‘grave breaches’ in referendum

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December 24th, 2012

Mervat al-Talawy, head of the National Council for Women, has said that the referendum on the constitution experienced violations and grave breaches, and stressed that the Egyptian people would continue to fight it until it is dropped like the 1930 Constitution.

“This constitution brings the Wahhabism of Saudi Arabia to Egypt,” she said, “although the Saudis themselves are starting to get rid of it.”

At a press conference on Sunday, Talawy said the council received 320 complaints in the first round of the referendum, especially from Cairo and Alexandria, and 248 complaints in the second round, especially from Giza, Beheira and Monufiya.

“The high elections commission did not have enough time to organize the process, especially in rural areas,” she said, calling on the commission not to announce the result of the referendum before investigating all complaints it has received from the council and other human rights organizations.

“There were not enough polling stations for women,” she said. “Many had to leave as queues were too long.”

She added that the constitution has many articles against women's rights. “It was tailor-made to get rid of Tahani al-Gebali of the Supreme Constitutional Court,” she said.

She said the majority in the Shura Council are Islamists. “This confirms that the presidency is not willing to hold a dialogue for unity,” she said.

Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm

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Cancellation of constitution top priority, ElBaradei says

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December 24th, 2012

Constitution Party head Mohamed ElBaradei said that if his party is successful in the coming parliamentary elections, the top priority would be the cancellation of the new constitution.

ElBaradei told BBC on Monday that he believes the new constitution constrains basic values such as freedom of belief and expression and independence of the judiciary.

The Constitution Party is a member of the National Salvation Front along with the Wafd, Conference, Egyptian Social Democratic and Popular Current parties, and the National Association for Change.

In a press conference on Sunday, the front said it would run for parliamentary elections on one list.

Earlier on Monday, Hamdeen Sabbahi, founder of the Popular Current, expected the front to secure a majority in the elections.

In an interview with the Turkish Anadolu news agency, Sabbahi rejected the new constitution, saying, “The referendum was manipulated. However, we’ll deal with it as a fact. We’ll struggle to cancel it.”

He added that comparing the results of the March 2011 referendum with the recent on indicates a decrease in Islamist popularity, specifically that of the Muslim Brotherhood.

In March 2011, the Constitutional Declaration was passed with a 78 percent vote after Islamist campaigns in support of the document. Preliminary results indicate that the draft constitution was approved by 64 percent. Sabbahi anticipated that this shift would help the NSF secure a majority in Parliament.

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Losing Post-War Libya – Commentary Magazine

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December 22nd, 2012

Political Analysis South Africa
Losing Post-War Libya
Commentary Magazine
Libya “is disintegrating,” Putin said at a major press conference in Moscow, pointing to the fractious groups that have been struggling for control of the country since longtime ruler Muammar Gaddafi was ousted with NATO's help last year …
Libya's hot spot feels the chillThe National
Analysing the relationship between the African Union and post-Gaddafi LibyaPolitical Analysis South Africa

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EU: No aid to Egypt before improving economy and signing IMF loan

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December 19th, 2012

The European Union has said it is willing to support Egypt and the “Arab Spring” countries to achieve democracy, but linked aid to Cairo with improving economic conditions and signing the International Monetary Fund loan.

EU Ambassador to Egypt James Moran said at a press conference on Wednesday, on the occasion of Ireland assuming the EU presidency, that Europe is monitoring political developments in Egypt and hoping it would withstand the challenges of the transitional period.

Meanwhile, France denied any future economic projects with Cairo until the political situation improves.

The EU had announced several financial assistance packages for Egypt, most recently the allocation of US$5 billion to support the economy.

Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm

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HEC rejects allegations of voting irregularities

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December 18th, 2012

High Elections Commission member Mahmoud Abu Shusha spoke out against reports of electoral violations in the constitutional referendum in a press conference on Tuesday.

He denied that some polling stations were supervised by individuals who were not judges, and also said there were no reported attempts to influence voters, as has been claimed by some rights groups.

He also swept aside reports that Secretary General Zaghloul al-Balshy would not be supervising the second round of voting scheduled for 22 December. Abu Shusha said Balshy did not attend the press conference because he was undergoing medical examinations for his eye, but that he was not abdicating his position.

Balshy is reported to be scheduled for eye surgery on Tuesday and may not be able to supervise voting on Saturday.

Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm

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