Dr. Mufid Shehab, Minister of Legal Affairs and Parliamentary Councils, said that any progress in Egypt depends on respect for human rights and freedoms. He called on opposition parties to be really present on the ground and not only on paper, adding that "we don't have a real multipartism".
At a meeting with executive leaders and members of the People's Assembly and the Shoura Council in Assiut yesterday, he touched on the rumors about the State caring for the youth and doing without the elderly in the near future. "We take advantage from both. The elderly have experience, while the youth don't have their own interests and their ideas are pure" he said. "We can't give the sack to the elderly ministers and MPs and replace them with new faces; it would be a disaster. There must be bridges between the two so that changes are peaceful" he added. Shehab pointed out that Egypt has been the target of hostile campaigns by a satellite channel which has recently been adopting stances opposed to the country's orientations and has been highlighting Egypt's negative aspects to tarnish its reputation. He affirmed that Egypt has a prestigious history and that the country is facing many challenges, as some Egyptians who love lashing out at their own country are tarnishing its reputation by launching unconstructive criticism in some newspapers. Shehab called on the Egyptians to remain united and to leave aside personal disputes. He also pointed out that the Egyptian government has taken several innovative steps, such as changing some articles of the Constitution and freedom-restricting laws. He also said that democracy and human rights are one of the priorities of the government to consolidate the principle of opinion plurality.
