Ex-PM of Egypt pledges not to restore Mubarak’s regimeMay 26, 2012 - 19:31 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Former Egyptian prime minister and presidential candidate Ahmed Shafiq sought Saturday, May 26 to dispel his authoritarian image by vowing to uphold democratic principles and respect all segments of society, according to The Washington Post. “We all sought to achieve for Egypt a democracy it thirsted for,” Shafiq, one of the two politicians who will compete in a runoff following this week’s presidential vote told reporters Saturday. “Our visions differed, our methods varied. That is the nature of democracy.” Many Egyptians see the prospect of a Shafiq presidency as a continuation of the type of authoritarian regimen they set out to dismantle last year in the popular revolt that led to President Hosni Mubarak’s ouster. Conservative Islamists were among the most repressed Egyptians under Mubarak’s government, and Shadiq made curbing the rise of Islamist politics a cornerstone of his campaign. But he struck a conciliatory tone Saturday, saying that he intends, if elected, to preside over “a country that can contain everyone and is for everyone.” Preliminary results Friday from state media showed that after the initial round in the first free presidential election in Egypt’s modern history, the field of 13 had been whittled to two candidates who represent the heavyweight forces of Egyptian politics — the Muslim Brotherhood and the military.
Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Narek Manasyan wins European Boxing Championships silver for Armenia Armenia’s Narek Manasyan (92kg) won Armenia’s second silver medal at the European Boxing Championships 2024 on April 28. Blinken urges Azerbaijan to continue negotiations with Armenia Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken has urged Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to continue negotiations with Armenia. Pashinyan, Blinken talk Armenia-U.S. ties over the phone Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan had a phone conversation with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on April 28, Pashinyan’s office reports. Titus, Bilirakis lead legislation to sanction Azerbaijani war criminals Representatives Dina Titus (D-NV) and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) have introduced the bipartisan legislation. |