Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi gives first ever TV interview

10 years ago | Posted in: Latest Politics News | 587 Views

The privately owned TV stations CBC and ONTV aired the first half of a pre-recorded interview with presidential hopeful Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi on Monday evening.

 

The former defence minister, who is expected to win the election held on 26-27 May, discussed a number of issues with ONTV’s Ibrahim Eissa and CBC’s Lamis El-Hadidi, including assassination attempts, his family, the Muslim Brotherhood and how he would deal with the opposition.

The first question El-Sisi was asked was why he had been silent in the past few weeks, sticking only to round-table discussions with representastives of various social groups.

“The silence was necessary, if I was representing to Egyptians a hope or a hoped-for future, then I had to be a good role model to represent the Egyptians,” he said, referring to an election rule that barred candidates from campaigning before 2 May.

When asked if he would continue to maintain a low profile if elected Egypt’s president, he said he wouldn’t, as he would be repeating the mistakes of previous regimes. He said that previous regimes did not communicate with the people, adding that people have to “know and understand.”

El-Sisi, who resigned recently from the military to run for president, said that he couldn’t respect himself if he had a prearranged plan to “hijack” Egypt’s presidency when he gave the 3 July speech announcing Morsi’s ouster.

“Neither would I be respecting the people if I did so.”

“Any responsible Egyptian who is capable of stepping in to save the nation, must do so … the country is being targeted from inside and out,” El-Sisi said, explaining his decision to run for the presidency.

He said that there were signals that people wanted him to run for president.

“I do not talk much and I took the side of millions not because I was interested in power.”

El-Sisi told his two interviewers that he decided to run for president when he detected an effort to “destroy the state,” forcing him to heed the calls of the people.

“On the constitution referendum days, people went out to vote for the constitution, but also their demand for me to run for president was clear,” El-Sisi said, in answer to what gave him indication that people wanted him to run.

He also said that he sensed people’s wishes for him to run through following army reports of the general opinion and the media. El-Sisi said that he has not been privy to such reports after stepping down from his post.

Taking off the fatigues

On leaving the army, El-Sisi, who rose through the ranks for the army since the mid 1970’s to become minister of defence in August 2012, said “I did not take permission [from the Supreme Council of Armed Forces], I informed them, as the military chief is a top position and does not take permission,” El-Sisi declared proudly.

El-Sisi said the army told him they loved him, so they didn’t want him to leave and run for president, but they said they loved the country more, so they didn’t have any other option but to let him leave…. see more

 

source: ahram online

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