President Sisi says he would not stay in office against the will of Egyptians
Ahram Online, , Tuesday 22 Dec 2015


Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi says he would not stay in office against the will of Egyptians, state news agency MENA reported.

The president made the comments in a speech at an event organised by Egypt's endowments ministry celebrating the birth of the Prophet Mohamed.

"I came to office by your choice and not against your will," El-Sisi said, addressing the people of Egypt.

He also questioned why some are calling for protests on 25 January, the anniversary of the 2011 uprising which ousted long-time autocrat Hosni Mubarak.

"Do you wish to destroy your country and the people? Look at the countries that I wish not to recall their names; they have been suffering for the past 30 years," says El-Sisi.

The Egyptian president said that he fears nothing and that he will not accept the destruction of Egypt.

"Destroyed nations cannot be rebuilt," he said.

A group on Facebook calling for protests on 25 January 2016 has caught the attention of many social media users.

The group has been calling for protests "against the oppression of freedom of speech, freedom of protesting, freedom of expression and freedom of the media."

The calls for protests on that day are not endorsed by the Muslim Brotherhood group – who have been organising relatively small protest during the past year – or any other politically-affiliated groups or parties, according to the description of the event, which says it aims to defend “the initial aim of the 2011 uprising.”

During last year's 25 January anniversary, the Egyptian president praised the "martyrs" who were killed during the 2011 uprising; and said that "to fulfil the demands of the revolution, bread, freedom and social justice, there must be a revolution inside us that shall push us forward in all fields."

Addressing the newly elected members of parliament, El-Sisi asked them to put aside any kind of conflict and to concentrate on the challenges currently facing the country.

He also stressed that the upcoming parliament will play a crucial role in Egyptian society, more so than other parliaments.

El-Sisi called for all parliamentarians and men of state to cooperate together while asking them to "finalise the legislative and institutional building of the Egyptian state.”

The president also stressed giving significant attention to low-income citizens, and urgedthe Egyptian cabinet to work on lowering prices in the Egyptian market, demanding that"all shops make new price reductions."

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