Egypt can fight threats if Egyptians unite: Sisi

Ahram Online , Wednesday 24 Jun 2015

The president spoke at a new weekly 'Egyptian Family Iftar' to continue throughout Ramadan

Sisi
Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi attended the new weekly Iftar of the Egyptian Family Wednesday. (Photo: Al-Ahram)

President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi said on Wednesday that Egypt is capable of facing its internal and external threats if "Egyptians unite and avoid disputes".

At a new weekly Ramadan event dubbed the “Egyptian Family Iftar”, he addressed over 350 figures from various sections of Egyptian society.

"The fate of 90 million Egyptians is not just the president's responsibility, but also that of the army, the police, the media and intellectuals," Sisi was quoted as saying by state news agency MENA.

The event was attended by representative of workers, farmers and political parties, in addition to artists, intellectuals, academics, businessmen, youth and women.

"Whoever wants to live among us in peace and security can do that," he said. “This country and land belongs to all of us, and there’s space for everyone. Whoever wants anything else will not be able to succeed.”

Sisi added that no one can defeat the Egyptians' will to protect their country through terrorism or bombings, "because they cannot be stronger than those who took the decision on 30 June two years ago."

Egypt's Islamist president Mohamed Morsi was ousted on 3 July 2013, following mass protests against him that started on June 30.

The new weekly Egyptian Family Iftar aims at bridging the gap between the president and different sections of society, MENA reported.

Sisi mentioned the new Suez Canal and improvements to the electricity network as two achievements under his rule.

He also said that four releases of detained youth had taken place, and that the lists of those detained would be further revised in order to release “those who deserve it”.

Representatives of tribes from Sinai, Marsa Matrouh, Nuba, Siwa, Halayeb, Shalatin, Suez and Upper Egypt also attended the Ramadan event.

Concerning North Sinai, Sisi said that he “did not have a choice” in the security forces’ actions there, as they had to protect the country.

He promised to consider allowing a 5 percent margin for the final exam results of last-year secondary school students in North Sinai, in view of the “difficult circumstances” during the past academic year.

Egypt has created a one-kilometre-wide and 14-kilometre-long buffer zone on the eastern border of North Sinai as part of its fight against militants in the Sinai peninsula.

By December 2014, about 1,100 families had been evacuated and their homes demolished in the Rafah area, as Egypt's army completed the buffer zone with the aim of fighting "terrorism" on the North Sinai-Gaza border.

The president said that he hoped that Egypt would have a parliament before the end of the year, and called on Egyptians to carefully choose who to vote for in the elections.

Egypt’s Supreme Constitutional Court ruled part of the laws governing the parliamentary polls unconstitutional in March, and the elections were postponed.

The president holds all legislative powers until a parliament convenes.

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