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| Africa: North |
| Egyptian opposition rejects US offer to political parties |
| 2005-07-17 |
| Cairo: The Egyptian opposition has baulked at suggestions by a US official concerning direct support to political parties from Washington, reported a local newspaper. During his just-concluded visit to Egypt, US Deputy Secretary of State Robert Zoellick said a programme for grooming party cadres, launched by the State Department, was part of the Greater Middle East Initiative, reported independent newspaper Al Masri Al Youm. âI suspect over the course of both the presidential and parliamentary elections, there will be questions raised, challenges ... thatâs the way a democratic process is formed.â The initiative is a US plan to widen political and socio-economic reforms in the region, the paper added. The paper, however, quoted some opposition activists as saying that they might accept US support if offered through the Egyptian Government. Zoellick said on Thursday that political change was taking shape in Egypt and the world would watch closely September's first contested presidential polls. "I feel there is change here, politically and economically," he told a Cairo press conference as he wrapped up a two-day visit in Egypt. |
| Posted by:Fred |