Egyptian regime rejects foreign meddling in internal affairs
On Wednesday, the Egyptian regime started a new campaign to confront the unprecedented revolution against it…
As President Hosni Mubarak’s supporters engaged into dangerous fights with the protesters in Cairo’s central Tahrir Square, and amid concerns the battles might seek sedition in the country, the Egyptian regime rejected the international calls for an immediate transition of power as a ‘meddling’ in the internal affairs of Egypt.
"What foreign parties are saying about 'a period of transition beginning immediately' in Egypt is rejected," foreign ministry spokesman Hossam Zaki said in a statement. He charged that such calls "sought to inflame the internal situation in Egypt".
United States President Barack Obama and EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton have called for an immediate transition of power in Egypt, where at least 300 people are reported to have died during nine days of protest.
Meanwhile, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said Wednesday that any attacks on peaceful demonstrators in Egypt were unacceptable. "Any attack against the peaceful demonstrators is unacceptable and I strongly condemn it," Ban told journalists in London after talks with British Prime Minister David Cameron.
Cameron condemned the "despicable scenes" in the Egyptian capital on Wednesday and said that any state sponsorship of the violence would be "completely unacceptable".
Earlier, US President Barack Obama expressed belief that an orderly transition must be meaningful, peaceful and it must begin now. "To the people of Egypt, particularly the young people of Egypt, I want to be clear: We hear your voices. I have an unyielding belief that you will determine your own destiny and seize the promise of a better future for your children and your grandchildren."
French President Nicolas Sarkozy reiterated in turn his wish to see a concrete transition process start without delay in response to a desire for change and renewal so strongly expressed by the population. In a statement released by his office, Sarkozy called on all Egyptian authorities to do everything to ensure that this crucial process takes place without violence.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel's spokesman Steffen Seibert told, meanwhile, a regular government briefing that Germany hopes that a "new democratic era" has begun in Egypt. "The German government is pressing for and hoping for a speedy transition to a new era of democracy and full civil rights in Egypt," Seibert said. "It is not up to us outside to say what the timeframe should be and by which personalities and groups this path should be taken. We are just hoping very much that at the end of this path we actually see what millions of people on the streets of Cairo and Alexandria are clearly dreaming of, namely freedom and human rights."
EU foreign affairs Chief Catherine Ashton called for an orderly transition through a broad-based government leading to a genuine process of substantial democratic reform with full respect of the rule of law, human rights and fundamental freedoms. "Unfortunately, the appointed new cabinet does not constitute such a broad-based representative government."
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that it was very important to get over this period with a temporary administration. "People expect Mubarak to take a much different step ... the current administration fails to give confidence for beginning an atmosphere of democracy within a short period of time."
