Egypt: ‘Dissolved People’s Assembly Will Not Come Back’

Vice President Mahmoud Mekki said that the dissolved People’s Assembly will not come back, and that everyone should be concerned with the upcoming elections.

Mekki said, in a statement reported by the Middle East News Agency today after a meeting with newspaper editors, that the tensions in the Egyptian society is the product of a political conflict that has distorted the beautiful synergy that we have witnessed in the first days of the revolution in Tahrir square.

Mekki listened to the questions and fears of the editors who represented all national and private newspapers as well as the Egyptian television. They expressed the feeling of the average citizens that there was no real change in their daily lives. They also articulated their apprehension of the incursion of political Islam and the attempts to limit freedoms and stifle opposition journalists.

Mekki stressed that he understands the legitimate concerns. He also believes that a starting point would be to admit that there is a crisis in trust that is not one-sided.

He explained that his main task is to manage the national dialogue and open channels of communication with all political forces. Also he aims at ensuring the protection of rights and freedoms as well as the legislative system, which opens the way for real democratic dialogue and the protection of rights and freedoms for all.

Mekki considered the national dialogue as the ultimate priority and said, “If we had started with writing the constitution and then the presidential elections and then parliamentary, we would have been in a much better position, that did not happen for reasons that I do not want to get into now”.

Mahmoud Mekki met with a number of editors of national newspapers today (Monday) for a period of three hours.

Dr. Yasser Ali, presidential spokesman, said in a statement on his Facebook account today that it was agreed today to hold meetings on a regular basis, as a conduit communicating with the Egyptian press that would guarantee transparent access to information.