CAIRO: The United States should make a distinction between the state and the government when criticizing Egypt's human rights record, MP and member of the Egyptian Council for Foreign Affairs Anwar Esmat El-Sadat said. Sadat released a statement in response to a US Congress report - number 1303 - released last week regarding human rights in Egypt which, according to the MP, reflected the interests of US policy makers. "The report directed a number of accusations against Egypt as a state, when it should have been leveled against the Egyptian government as it is solely responsible for what was included in the report, Sadat said. Concerning what the report said about the plight of Egypt's Coptic Christians and specifically, their dearth of representation in the higher echelons of government and parliament, Sadat said that all Egyptians hope to elect whom they like in elections, but that fraud and forgery have become the order of the day. "Instead of the will of the voters it is the will of the regime that decides these matters, Sadat added. The opposition MP also argued in his statement that while "human rights, freedom of expression and belief are the inalienable right of all Egyptians, he castigated the report for ignoring other issues that he felt were as important to Egyptians currently. Paramount amongst these issues was widespread poverty and the absence of social justice as the gap between rich and poor widens. "Acquiring a loaf of bread and a cup of clean water is the top priority, he said. Another issue was the rampant administrative corruption which has led to corruption in the health and education sectors and the mismanagement of the country's resources, Sadat added. Finally, Sadat said that Egypt's judicial branch had integrity and honesty, but that corruption was an obstacle to the implementation of the rule of law. "And we all know that all these problems will not be solved except in a democratic society that all Egyptians are calling for. And this in turn will reflect on respect for human rights. This is what loyal national forces and civil society are trying to achieve despite all the harassment and marginalization, Sadat concluded.
