CAIRO: Various Western government have expressed support for the Egyptian elections, seeing them as an important step towards democracy and civilian rule. In a statement issued on Sunday, British Foreign Secretary William Hague said: “I congratulate the people of Egypt as they go to the polls. I urge the Egyptian authorities to ensure that these elections are free from violence, fair and credible. What happens in Egypt will be crucial for the whole region and the world will be watching closely in the days and months ahead.” Hague, who on November 23 expressed his concern over the way Egyptian authorities were dealing with the recent protests in Tahrir and across the country, signaled ongoing British support for the move to civilian rule in Egypt. He called on the Egyptian authorities to form an inclusive government with broad support, saying: “This Government, and the new Parliament, must have the authority to take actions to restore confidence in the political transition and foster economic recovery.” The French foreign ministry also expressed similar sentiments, calling on the Egyptian authorities and all citizens to ensure that the election was held in peaceful conditions. The ministry also expressed its support for a “rapid and orderly” transition “leading to a transfer of power to elected civilian authorities in the coming months.” Meanwhile, the new Italian foreign minister, Giulio Trevi, expressed his commitment to supporting the democratic transition in Egypt and other North African countries, emphasizing the importance of economic growth for the success of that transition. “We must act”, said Trevi, “on the basis of respectful support to the march of the peoples of North Africa towards a society that is not just free and prosperous but also socially more equal. If we just seek new ways of getting to oil and gas reserves, if we just substitute the new authorities for the old without changing our frame of reference, we will be doing an injustice to the young people who went into the squares and paid with their lives for their noble ideals. Only a determined investment in human resources, and in their mobility, can offer these countries an alternative to dependence on primary resources.” BM
