US News

Obama criticizes Egypt’s announcement of power transition

WASHINGTON — US President Barack Obama said Thursday it is not yet clear whether Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak’s announcement of a transition of authority is “immediate, meaningful or sufficient.”

“Too many Egyptians remain unconvinced that the government is serious about a genuine transition to democracy, and it is the responsibility of the government to speak clearly to the Egyptian people and the world. The Egyptian government must put forward a credible, concrete and unequivocal path toward genuine democracy, and they have not yet seized that opportunity,” Obama added in a statement.

Obama, who has faced criticism for an apparent unwillingness to urge Mubarak to stand down as the political crisis has unfolded in Egypt, added: “As we have said from the beginning of this unrest, the future of Egypt will be determined by the Egyptian people. But the United States has also been clear that we stand for a set of core principles.

“We believe that the universal rights of the Egyptian people must be respected, and their aspirations must be met. We believe that this transition must immediately demonstrate irreversible political change, and a negotiated path to democracy. To that end, we believe that the emergency law should be lifted.

“We believe that meaningful negotiations with the broad opposition and Egyptian civil society should address the key questions confronting Egypt’s future: protecting the fundamental rights of all citizens; revising the Constitution and other laws to demonstrate irreversible change; and jointly developing a clear roadmap to elections that are free and fair.”

Referring to Mubarak’s earlier announcement that he was transferring unspecified levels of authority to his deputy Omar Suleiman, but would not be stepping down until elections in September, Obama said:

“We therefore urge the Egyptian government to move swiftly to explain the changes that have been made, and to spell out in clear and unambiguous language the step by step process that will lead to democracy and the representative government that the Egyptian people seek.

“Going forward, it will be essential that the universal rights of the Egyptian people be respected. There must be restraint by all parties. Violence must be forsaken. It is imperative that the government not respond to the aspirations of their people with repression or brutality. The voices of the Egyptian people must be heard.”