French president Francois Hollande (AFP)
Egypt's flamboyant lawyer and high-profile MP Mortada Mansour sharply attacked French President Francois Hollande's meeting with a number of Egyptian public figures Monday.
Mansour, in words delivered before parliament Wednesday, said "The meeting between President Francois Hollande and a number of figures, including one MP (Mohamed Anwar Al-Sadat), should be considered a violation of Egypt's sovereignty."
Mansour cried foul that "whenever a foreign president or king visits Egypt, he decides that he should meet with public figures."
"The group of figures who met with the French president were selected by the French ambassador and they are always the ones who meet with foreign presidents," said Mansour, adding: "I know no other country allowing such meetings to take place as this is a violation of the country's sovereignty."
Mansour wondered why the government allows such meetings to take place. "The answer is because this government is weak and its cabinet ministers are working in isolation from each other," said Mansour.
He further lamented that "Foreign countries are imposing their conditions on this government because it is weak."
Mansour urged the government of Egyptian Prime Minister Sherif Ismail to exercise "an iron fist" on "all those who obtain money from abroad to set up NGOs."
"While they allow some people to obtain money from abroad, we see that police officers are being killed in terrorist attacks everyday without receiving adequate compensation," said Mansour.
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