Brussels, 06/06/2014 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday 5 June, the European Union congratulated Abdel Fattah El-Sissi as the new President of Egypt. High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton said she trusted that he will “tackle the serious challenges faced by the country and the new government, among them the dire economic situation, the deep divisions within society, the security situation, and the respect of the human rights of all Egyptian citizens in line with international obligations and guaranteed by the new Constitution adopted last January”.
Ashton stated that the EU wanted to work “closely with the new authorities in Egypt in a constructive partnership with a view to strengthening our bilateral relations”. “The EU stands ready to support efforts by the new president and his government to take the necessary steps in the transition and to address the difficult economic situation in the country in a sustainable manner through implementing the necessary socio-economic reforms”, she said. The EU is also ready to assist Egypt in capacity building in order to improve good governance.
Returning to the issue of the presidential elections, Ashton believed that the “holding of the presidential elections marks an important step in the implementation of the constitutional roadmap towards the transition to democracy in Egypt”. On the basis of the preliminary statement of the EU Election Observation Mission, the EU takes good note of the “overall peaceful and orderly conduct of the elections”, while noting that, although the new constitution sets out a wide-ranging catalogue of fundamental rights, “the respect for rights falls short of constitutional principles”. “Freedoms of association, assembly and expression are areas of concern, including in the context of this election”, Ashton stated.
“Building a deep and sustainable democracy will only succeed with the establishment of democratic, transparent and accountable institutions that protect all citizens and their fundamental rights”, Ashton stressed. “The EU hopes that the period ahead, particularly with parliamentary elections in view, will be marked by a spirit of dialogue aimed at reducing political division through reaching out to all major groups including civil society and permitting the political opposition that renounces violence and adheres to democratic principles, to act freely on the basis of the rights enshrined in the Constitution”, she added.
The EU ambassador in Egypt, James Moran, will represent the European institutions at El-Sissi's investiture on 8 June. El-Sissi, the former head of the army, was elected president with 96.9% of the votes. The turnout rate in these elections was 47.45%. (CG)