THE MIDEAST IN THE NEWS

President Jimmy Carter and Egypt’s Presidential Elections

At a press conference in Cairo, 87-year-old Carter spoke of the voting process and how there was a thirty-minute limit that observers could spend at polling stations. Luckily, the Supreme Presidential Electoral Commission (SPEC) allowed observers to be present during the ballot count without any restrictions. Carter noted that “There were many election violations, but that did not effect the basic integrity of the elections itself.” When asked about election fraud, Carter did not comment, citing it was SPEC’s business.

President Carter was then asked about his thoughts on the presidential elections. He saw what Egypt did in sixteen months, took America twelve years to do after 1776. He added, “I’m confident about the future.” However, what seemed to disappoint him was the large number of youth boycotting the presidential elections. “It’s their choice to make,” Carter exclaimed.

A hot topic for Egyptians alike is the future of the peace treaty with Israel. “Not a word in the treaty has been violated in thirty-three years,” Carter told the press. “Egypt honored the agreement, but Israel did not in terms of the rights of the Palestinians.” Having spoken to the Muslim Brotherhood’s candidate Mohamed Morsi in January and again on Friday, he reiterated that the treaty could not be modified without an agreement by both sides. Asked about making adjustments to the Camp David Accords, President Carter laughed and remarked, “It’s really well written. I would know, I wrote it.”

At a talk hosted by the American University in Cairo, President Carter addressed the Palestinian issue. Carter stated he was bothered by the stance Egypt had taken in the past on Palestinians, “Mubarak did not push a lot, this will change; Egypt will be the champion of Palestinian rights.”

University students then asked Carter about giving advice to the new president of Egypt. He remarked that he would only give advice if asked. President Carter then talked about giving former President Anwar Sadat of Egypt guidance and joked how he did not take it since he had a mind of his own. Despite this, he said he was willing to accept the treaty before Israel’s Prime Minister Menachem Begin did.

A controversial subject, the future of the role of the military junta, the Supreme Council of Armed Forces (SCAF) was addressed simplistically. Carter explained Egypt could adopt the American model where the military has a secondary role, allowing for it to be well-respected again by the Egyptian people as they were prior to the January 25th Revolution.

Overall, after what he had witnessed taking place in Egypt, Carter seemed rather confident about its future. “Egypt will emerge in an unprecedented way in the international community.” Now that very community will have to wait until Tuesday to see officially who SPEC determines as the top two presidential candidates to participate in the second round of Egypt’s presidential elections.

*Photo Credit: Talk Radio News Service