Tuesday, May 10, 2005
Egyptian judges reject Bush’s call for election monitoring
CAIRO: Hundreds of Egyptian judges have rejected US President George W Bush’s weekend call for international monitoring of Egypt’s September presidential elections, saying they will do the job themselves, a senior court official said Monday. Separately, 90 percent of Egypt’s 2,000 judges charged with running the elections want local, not foreign, authorities to monitor the poll, according to a recent vote taken by the Justice Ministry.
The strong reactions from Egypt’s judiciary leaders followed comments made Saturday in Latvia by Bush, who said Egypt’s presidential election “should proceed with international monitors, and with rules that allow a real campaign.”
Bush has been urging Middle East states, including strong ally Egypt, to undergo wide-ranging democratic reforms. His campaign has been criticized by many in the region, including Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, who says democratic reforms should not be imposed by outsiders.
ap
Daily Times - All Rights Reserved