Cairo – Major General Abu Bakr El-Gendy, Head of the Central Agency for Public Mobilization (CAPMAS), said in an interview with Al-Masry Al-Youm that he served under five different systems, from former President Hosni Mubarak's regime until sitting President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi, stressing that he wanted to maintain the independence of CAPMAS despite the fact that some of the data were not to the liking of many governments. Gen. El-Gendy revealed that under former Islamic President Mohamed Morsi, Muslim Brotherhood group requested to establish a private information system inside Egypt's Presidency. "This led me to submit my resignation at once," he added. [...] We know that your meeting with President Abdel Fattah Sisi was scheduled for half an hour but extended to two hours. Could you tell us about this backstage meeting? Was it upon your request? The President has a great interest in the national databases. National censuses provide the largest and most comprehensive database on Egypt's population and demographics as well as the economic buildings and facilities of various kinds and geographical distribution. All of these are strategic information needed by the government. The President's objective from the meeting was to follow up and review all current procedures and stages of the state-run censuses.
