Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi said during the fifth edition of the National Youth Conference that anyone who wishes to participate in the country's political life must have a comprehensive understanding of Egypt's political and economic landscape. The first session of this edition of the youth conference, which kicked off in Cairo on Thursday, is titled 'The Youth's Vision for the Egyptian Political Scene.' The session included a discussion among youth representatives on the prospects of the youth becoming more active in political life as well as the future of political parties in the country. Al-Ahram journalist Amira El-Adly stressed during a presentation at the conference on the importance of spreading political awareness among youth. El-Adly called for more efforts at universities to increase young people's political awareness, saying the Muslim Brotherhood terrorist organisation formed its base by reaching out to university students. During the conference, National Council for Human Rights member Mohamed Abdel-Aziz thanked President El-Sisi for pardoning on Thursday a number of prisoners, which includes young people and individuals with health problems. Abdel-Aziz also said that terrorist organisations exploit the "prisoners file" in Egypt to spread negative propaganda against the country. The Egyptian president also approved a proposal to launch a committee tasked with facilitating direct communication between Egypt's youth and the executive authority. El-Sisi stressed that a comprehensive image must be kept in mind when addressing the country's problems. The president also described political life in Egypt during the past 10 years as "rapidly accelerating and developing." The president cautioned of good intentions that may lead to bad results, especially in light of the challenges currently faced by the state. "We have seen in many countries how noble and good intentions have ended up with very bad outcomes," El-Sisi said, stressing the necessity of preserving state institutions. On the recent presidential elections, El-Sisi thanked his sole contender Moussa Mostafa Moussa, affirming that the political opposition is part of Egypt's political life and is a partner in facing challenges such as extremism. The president also spoke about the country's upcoming municipal elections, saying they have been delayed several times due to the drafting of legislations that were awaiting approval to ensure that they are in line with the constitution. El-Sisi called for holding the municipal elections as soon as possible, urging Egyptians to choose the right representatives for the sake of their country. The president opened on Wednesday the fifth youth forum in Cairo with wide participation from political figures and parties, civil society groups and youth representatives. The conference's agenda comprises three sessions. The second session – 'The Vision of the Egyptian State for the Upcoming Four Years' – will involve an analysis of the latest presidential elections. The third session will be titled 'Ask the President,' where El-Sisi will answer a variety of questions submitted by citizens over the past few days to the president through an online forum.
