Commenting on recent statements emanating from the US State Department, Secretary-General of the ruling National Democratic Party (NDP) Safwat al-Sherif on Monday said the party rejected "foreign interference" in Egypt's domestic affairs. “Upcoming parliamentary elections will be held transparently, under the supervision of the Supreme Electoral Committee and Egyptian civil society organizations,” al-Sherif said. “The NDP is looking forward to competing with other political parties in free elections that do not mix religion with politics and that conform to the provisions laid down in the constitution,” he added. Meanwhile, Dutch Ambassador to Egypt Susan Blankhart said her country intended to follow Egyptian elections both through reports issued by the European Union and the media. Blankhart also said that Egyptian media provided some scope for freedom and noted the "presence" of local civil society organizations. “But we still have some concerns, and so has the Egyptian government,” she said. The ambassador went on to say that Egyptian opposition parties were not on the level of their Dutch counterparts, the latter of which enjoy "greater democracy and more civil liberties." Blankhart added that her country looked forward both to boosting trade relations with Egypt and reducing outstanding development loans, asserting that Egypt's economy had grown to the extent that it no longer required foreign assistance. Blankhart concluded by saying that Muslim immigrants were "doing well" in the Netherlands, stressing that the Dutch constitution protected freedom of religion. Translated from the Arabic Edition.
