Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Like all of us, I was severely aggrieved by the tragedy of the Egyptian aircraft that
crashed into the ocean facing American coast. While investigations are still underway to
unravel the cause of the plane crash in such abrupt way, I do feel deep sorrow and grief
for the plane victims including crew and passengers, Egyptians and foreigners alike.
From here, I send my heart-felt condolences to the families and relatives of victims and
invite you to stand for one minute in mourning for the victims and martyrs of this
incident.
Brothers and Sisters,
Members of People's Assembly and Shura Council, Our meeting today on the
inauguration of the new parliamentary session of your august Assembly comes as an
auspicious event initiating a new period, that, I pray Allah Almighty, will bring about
welfare to all categories of the Egyptian people and more stability, prosperity and
progress for Egypt. This meeting also coincides with the assumption of a new cabinet
charged with specified assignments to bring about a qualitative shift to enhance the
performance of national economy, leading to a tangible improvement in the life of all
Egyptians. This will involve, in the meantime strict commitment to maintain social
justice,
open the door for Egypt s rising youth to provide additional input in making their
country's future.
I look forward to the coming period as one of steadily rising building and plentiful
harvest, where Egypt will be more powerful, flourishing with more welfare, justice,
stability and security, enjoying a democratic atmosphere that is being increasingly
entrenched in our day-to-day life, and reaping the fruit of its efforts in a more shining
life.
This stability is protected and strengthened by our valiant armed forces that defend our
land and honour, deter aggression and oppression and never hesitate to sacrifice for the
sake of the rights of Allah and the homeland.
Stability and security is maintained by the Egyptian police forces, with their efficient
and
alert performance, dedication to duty, heedful observance of the principles and provision
of law and avoidance of any infringement of established controls and applicable rules.
Against this congenial background, I anticipate that the people will reap the fruit of
their
exertion in the form of a tangible increase in family and individual income, more
enhanced and plentiful services, ensuring adequate health care, better education and
more diversified job opportunities.
I hope the new cabinet will be more effective in performance, and more capable to attain
the aspired goals. I expect your esteemed Assembly, in its current session, to pursue its
important role of assisting the government in implementing its programme and
undertaking its duties, through serious and objective discussion of this programme and
its approved time frame or drafting such laws that make the aspired goals into binding
obligations.
This is the concluding session that complements the legal term of your esteemed
Assembly, reflecting the state of prevailing stability in Egyptian parliamentary life, our
keen interest in entrenching the rule of law, deepening the concept of institutionalized
state as well as our respect for the role of the legislative institution and our interest
in
implanting its immunity into the conscience of the Egyptian people. On this occasion, I
feel fully confident that you will pursue your mission through this session with due zeal,
exercising objective and true cooperation with the government. By so doing, you will be
fulfilling the honour of responsibility that you undertake on behalf of the people,
ensuring
impartial and objective performance, with due respect to national interests and
commitment to the people's legitimate rights and aspirations.
The control by the Assembly over the performance of the government is the prime
guarantee to good performance; a hedge that ensures that errors are redressed and
problems are addressed before they could aggravate. As you are aware, rational control
requires mutual coordination, cooperation and understanding between the Assembly and
the government. As both institutions have one common goal, namely to realize public
national interest, it is essential that both sides should have consistent visions of the
right
priorities of national work, together with due commitment to integrity, transparency and
good reasoning. Thus, control can be an effective tool for bridging gaps and rectifying
errors and deficiencies. I expect this current session of your esteemed Assembly to
witness a national dialogue involving independent and diverse opinions and free
discussions, in search for the most consummate and practicable solutions.
I also expect Assembly Men to exert their utmost in seriously and objectively examining
all dimensions of problems discussed, taking into account all surrounding circumstances
and available resources.
We should avoid indulgence in fantasies or well-wishing, nor should we ignore existing
potentials and necessities of real life. Moreover, we should not be drifted away into
futile
auctioneering, actuated by personal or factional motives, far beyond national public
interest.
Brothers and Sisters,
Members of The People's Assembly, During its former session, your august Assembly
has reaped a plentiful harvest that reflects rich and fertile democratic practice as well
as
the importance of serious parliamentary performance in the way of forging the objectives
of the national march and setting an appropriate legal framework insuring the
maintenance of proper progress and orientations of such march.
As regards either its legislative or control role, your august Assembly should be given
the credit for coping up with local and international changes. These had necessitated a
review of the national economic track through a gradual and smooth but huge
transformation process, taking into consideration market laws and opening new horizons
for national and foreign private investments to contribute to development efforts.
The scope of state responsibility was expanded for creating a favourable atmosphere for
unleashing individual potentials and attracting more investments in the interest of the
Egyptian development, along with strengthening its role in controling the balance of
interest between different categories of the community to preserve social peace and to
protect the interest of the least able categories.
I am confident that cooperation among the state institutions, especially between the
government and the People's Assembly will be furthered to achieve a no less serious and
important objective, namely to firmly entrench an institutionalized state whereby the
structure of a modern state will be consumed. This matter ,to us, is regarded as a
national necessity.
An institutionalized state guarantees the continuity of the national march, based on
clear-cut systems,stable policies, firmly established traditions and transparent laws. In
institutionalized state, governed by constant and stable systems and objectives, the
spirit
of team work prevails and joint responsibility becomes a deep-rooted concept. Under
these circumstances, it becomes difficult for any group or individual, irrespective of
their
stature, to effect any radical changes in the national objectives, motivated by subjective
visions or factional interests, bearing in mind that an institutionalized state derives
its
referential authority from institutional commitment rather than individual volitions.
Since I was honoured by the people to bear the responsibility, I have sought to achieve
this objective and I shall continue to pursue the same track until the concept of the
institutionalized state has been firmly set both in theory and practice as well as a
constant and stable tradition and a reality for the coming generations to attend to.
Brothers and Sisters,
Today, we start a new stage of national action whose objectives are determined by a
comprehensive programme and whose broadlines have been read out to your august
Assembly, the day I took the institutional oath following the declaration of the
referendum results.
In the letter of assignment addressed to Prime Minister Atif Ebeid, I requested the
government to set detailed programmes for this comprehensive programme according to
the priorities agreed upon for the coming stage. The government was further asked to
draw up executive work programmes to achieve such objectives within a definite time
frame and to cooperate with your august Assembly in conducting profound and detailed
discussions of such programmes.
Legislations necessary for implementation should be studied and the results of
implementation monitored on a step-by-step basis. This would ensure good performance
and people's control over the government's performance and provide the aspired
integration between the executive and legislative authority. As you note, I have set as a
top priority in our programme the necessity to maintain high and increasing rates of
development and ensure access by all categories of the community to fruits of
development. To this end, we are committed to the following basic and commanding
principles:
First: Maintain success achieved by the economic reform process and continue to pursue
the reform process with the object of attaining a huge tangible leap in export by
upgrading industry, services institutions and enhancing agricultural exports.
Second: Maintain the social dimension in each and every step and decision. This will
ensure that Egyptian development will remain as it used to be and must be, an elevated
humane experience that targets man as end in itself. In this experience man inputs his
mind, efforts and money in return for fair reward. Due consideration should be given the
interests of workers, especially low-income categories as we view development as an
integrated process where the economic dimension is interrelated with social and political
dimensions.
Third: Seek to promote democracy by expanding the right of participation and look for
the best ways to guarantee correct representation of all segments of society. Brothers
and Sisters, The most dangerous challenges, facing us at this current stage, may be
those resulting from the highly effective ongoing developments, at present on the world
arena. Global economy is now associated with new concepts of international cooperation
indicative of a radical change in international economic relations, based on the
integration of the world into one whole entity, where no barriers exist and commodities,
services and capital flow unobstructed.
More important, however, is that we face a new world governed by major entities and
blocs, huge regional and international economic and financial institutions which have
their own new rules and mechanisms of dealing. In return, these institutions need strong
national institutions that likewise have their own rules and clear techniques that enable
them to deal and compete on a pari-passu-basis with these corporations in response to
common and national interests. No less dangerous than this challenge is the increasing
dependence in developed countries on modern science applications for introducing new
products in fields of communication, information, new materials, producing food stuff,
pharmaceuticals and medical requirements based on the results of scientific research and
a plethora of new inventions which are being put into commercial use year after year.
These challenges impose on us two important assignments:
First: To urgently eliminate weaknesses in our productive corporations and conduct a
wide and all-out inventory of Egyptian products which can be highly competitive on
international markets. We should also adopt a practical programme to modernize and
rejuvenate Egyptian industry, upgrade its products to competitive levels and encourage
research and innovation efforts in such important areas that can be developed without
having to incur huge expenditure, but will allow us to boost our presence on the
international market.
Second: Seek to increase our exports to international markets. Export has now become a
matter of life and death since sustaining development efforts is contingent on increasing
our ability to export to foreign markets. Moreover, in countries with rising growth rates,
the local market can not absorb the total volume of national production. Failing success
in exportation, development horizons will be diminishing, job opportunities will be
dwindling and hopes to seriously improve the individuals standard of living will fade
away. This is the most dangerous challenge facing Egypt.
We have talked much about obstacles and barriers hindering the encouragement of
export. I do still call upon the Assembly and the government to remove all remaining
obstacles within one year from now. We have no more time to waste in futile discussion
concerning these obstacles. I call upon your august Assembly to finalize within the course
of its current session, all legislations related to the removal of obstacles to exports.
Concommitantly, the government is expected to more intensively search for new
techniques to increase the volume of our exports to foreign markets. Export is such an
objective that requires much more than just increasing and upgrading quality of
production, but it has its own scientific techniques and mechanisms commonly known to
experts and international trade institutions. Of these comes good marketing conducted
by national corporations that protect national production against illegal competition in
world markets and recommend necessary improvements to exports and its prices to
stand in the face of fierce competition.
As we talk about opening wider prospects for exporting Egyptian production and
removing obstacles that hinder exporters, our aspired aim will never be realized without
raising the efficiency of Egyptian air and sea ports as they represent the arteries of the
economy to foreign markets. Thus, I have asked the government to draw up a
well-defined programme to raise the efficiency and upgrade management of Egyptian
ports in order to achieve a tangible leap in the quality and cost of the services offered.
Brothers and Sisters,
In my address in September, I asked that our coming national project should be to
establish a technological base that allows modern science applications to be widely used
in services and production sectors, advanced sciences to be entrenched and Egypt to be
a producer of these applications in fields of interest and vital significance to our
future.
I emphasized the importance of necessary studies to mobilize and coordinate efforts for
this project to be implemented as a mainstey to further boost the ability of national
industry to grow, compete and maintain its presence with due weight on export markets.
In addition, I have spotted out in this project wider prospects for new highly-paid
employment opportunities for youth especially in the fields of information,
communication and services. To achieve the aim of technological development and
deepen related public awareness, the government is required to carry out the necessary
tasks of completing infrastructure, to start with, establishing and activating training
institutions, developing educational curricula, reviewing necessary legislations to
protect
innovations, providing incentives to attract private investments and supporting
institutions that finance these advanced technological industries. To prove its
commitment to technological development the government is required to expedite the
constitution of the National Committee of Technological Development that will report to
the President.. Its duty will be to supervise the formulation of this national project,
eliminate whatever obstacles, it may face, coordinate the roles of the government, the
private sector and development and researches institutions.
To guarantee the effectiveness of this committee, it is required as one of its duties, to
determine the objectives to be implemented on an annual and five-year basis, pinpoint
policies and strategies to be applied so as to guarantee the efficient implementation and
then monitor and evaluate results.
Essentially, this committee should comprise ministers concerned, prominent
representatives of industries that have started operation and acquired experience, in
addition to those of educational and research institutions related to fields identified. I
demand that this committee should be formed within the few coming weeks. I will call the
proposed committee to meet soon so as for me to review personally its proposed
programme of action as well as resources and powers required to guarantee its
efficiency.
Brothers and Sisters,
It still remains as one of the most significant challenges that faces the new government
to tune up national economic indicators in such a way as to re-affirm our constant ability
to sustain the positive results achieved by the economic reform process. We have
managed to attain the goals of reform after a long journey that lasted for about 18 years
involving strenuous negotiations with the most powerful financial institutions in the
world.
During this span of time, the Egyptian people have endured unavoidable burdens in order
to protect our country against imperative risks to which numerous other countries were
exposed following the deterioration of their national economic conditions up to the verge
of bankruptcy.
We should not let slip off our hand the success already achieved in controling public
expenditure and budget deficit and managing and reducing inflation to secure and
internationally acceptable rates. The government should continue to protect public
budget deficit against pressures causing further rises and to maintain balance between
revenues and expenditures, being the key to macroeconomic balance.
I have requested the government to ensure that annual expenses are rationalized and
limits should not be exceeded except in as much as allowed by increase in revenues. I
have also requested that plans for increasing revenues should not add any burdens to
low-income categories. The government should rather direct its efforts for increasing
revenues to the collection of tax arrears and outstanding custom duties and bridging such
loopholes that can be manipulated by those who evade payment of state dues.
We have succeeded to set right the economic variables governing our national economy,
making them respond and interact, freely and flexibly, with the national economy. It is
essential to maintain these tools with their full efficiency and flexibility as
instruments to
help us face potential changes in local and international economic structures.
The strength of our economy lies in its flexibility. We have laid down such institutional
framework that guarantees this flexibility. Hence, it will be necessary to upgrade and
streamline this framework. Necessary competencies and talents should be introduced to
make it more effective and efficient. This will enable us to remain in possession of such
powerful tools that allow us to efficiently steer the national economy.
Brothers and Sisters,
As our duty is to create a favourable appropriate atmosphere for the private sector and
provide incentives encouraging it to increase its investments in national economy, we
should take into consideration, full keenness on our part to ensure access to the fruits
of
development by all categories of the people including workers, who make up the
battalions of development. No worker should be obligated to leave his work, deprived of
his income, nor left without protection. Access should be given also to low-income
categories that should be offered necessary level of care; students who can not afford
tuition fees; youth who cannot find appropriate housing or employment and poor families
that need health care for children and the elderly as well as full care for mothers.
To realize these principles, I ask the government to continue implementing our
comprehensive social reform programme that provides care for the least able categories
and offer various mechanisms for improving the income of these categories especially
youth, through soft loans for small projects or training in certain productivre
activities. I
also ask the government to exert all efforts to address the problem of squatter areas
with new plans and ideas, to eliminate this phenomenon and offer proper alternatives;
turning the existing ones into planned areas with necessary services.
I asked the government to prepare for a national conference on social development so as
to draw up an integrated vision of the dimensions of the social question. The government
should participate in the deliberations of the conference side by side with experts,
specialists and members of the concerned non-governmental organizations. I also gave
my instructions to put forth before the participants all studies and researches which will
help them survey social conditions in Egypt.
I will ask the conference, to be held soon, to discuss the broadlines of the government's
programme and present well-defined and practicable recommendations. I ask your
esteemed Assembly to support this significant effort and offer full assistance to the
government by studying the proposed social reform programme, and approving
legislations necessary to address these problems. It may be required to amend some
laws such as those of health and social insurance and the Law on the New Urban
Communities. Included will be some other draft laws, which, as far as I know, will be
considered, such as a draft law establishing a new mechanism for settling disputes
between citizens and administrative bodies. This will be a good idea that will save
citizens
a lot of troubles, help maintain stable legal environment and enhance progress towards
instant justice, a matter of great concern to millions of citizens at a time when the
number
of disputes is accelerating at a high pace. Reference should be made here to the draft
Unified Labour Law which in principle will yield great benefits. However, further auditing
and review of some detailed and secondary issues is required on your part so as to
ensure that, when issued, the legislation will be in compliance with the proper legal
principles as well as the public interest of the society.
You may recall as well that I have set, as a leading priority for our new term in office,
the
issue of the youth participation in making the future of their country. I also asked the
government to offer more comprehensive care for this vital force that makes up more
than one half of Egypt's population where 50% are still within age of education (18
million) and the remaining 50% within age of employment.
The creation of a specialized ministry for youth affairs was actuated by our interest in
the
future of these promising generations for whom all resources should be made available to
enable them to be more in touch with this modern era,where technological achievements
depend on the nation's think-tanks, creative and innovative minds.
There is no doubt that the proper starting-point to guarantee knowledge, efficiency and
expertise for these promising generations, is to continue to modernize and develop
Egyptian education so as to cover such curricula that help students acquire the useful
knowledge that render them good citizens, fully aware of their public responsibilities and
allow them to acquire skills qualifying for real job opportunities needed for the Egyptian
labour market. I do ask the government to accelerate the revision of educational
curricula and exert additional effort in preparing the teachers capable of delivering
modern education. Furthermore, our educational institutions should dedicate part of their
efforts to offering high-quality education for talented and high-flying students so as to
develop their special capabilities thus qualifying them to be in the future a part of
Egypt s
scientists, experts and innovative scholars; thus laying a firm foundation for sustainable
progress.
I also ask for rapid implementation of a national programme to adapt young graduates to
the real needs of labour market through training centres established by various
ministries in all the governorates of Egypt.
While the state will contribute the greater portion of training costs, bussiness
institutions
are required to contribute such share as may be commensurated with their capacity. I
have also called upon the new government to break with full force into the problem of
youth housing although we have achieved some progress in that field, still I demand a
comprehensive programme where the state cooperates with banks, NGOs and well off
individuals so as to cater for the pressing needs of youth. The state will undertake the
responsibility of offering lands suitable for development, together with utilities.
Besides,
the government will help upgrade financing institutions that offer soft housing loans to
youth and introduce specialized institutions for this purpose.
Your esteemed Assembly will be required to draft legislations to encourage the creation
of such institutions and set guarantees for them to recover their funds on long-term
instalments for the benefit of youth.
Brothers and Sisters,
It has been my constant belief that democracy grows on free opinion, broad participation,
and proper representation. Along this road, Egypt has made significant strides that can
never be denied except by an arrogant, ungrateful person. Since the early beginnings,
political and economic reform processes have gone hand in hand in serious strides.
Freedom of opinion and press were made available in an unprecedented manner, doors
were opened to new forms of press ownership which was no longer confined to national
and party press.
For the first time in forty years, an independent Egyptian press has emerged.Inspite of
several negative practices, I have maintained my clear attitude that the press must be
capable of rectifying by itself its negative aspects and that the press should not be
subjected to any sway other than the law. I need not reassure you of my full trust in the
opposition as a part of government system , failing which the democratic framework will
be incomplete. I am not talking of a nominal presence of the opposition but a real one
because the existence of a powerful opposition, will make the ruling party of a country
much more alert, active and closer to the interests of the masses.
We do not impound the opposition's right to a more balanced parliamentary
representation. Besides, we have no objection to discuss the most appropriate means to
achieve this. However, the starting point is that the opposition should straighten up its
conditions to be internally more democratic and really express the interests of the
masses. The close of the seventh legislative term of your esteemed Assembly means
that new parliamentary elections will be imminent. So, I wish you all good luck within a
framework of honest competition involving parties and individuals. This would deepen
democracy and expand the right of participation that we seek to deeply implant into both
the Egyptian individual and collective consciousness as well as in practice.
I promise that the coming elections will be clean, impartial and subject all through to
full
supervision of the judiciary since we firmly believe that the independence of the
judiciary
authority is one of the most important mainstays of rule in Egypt, the state provides all
forms of such independence it deserves, while it is an object of pride for every Egyptian.
If we are really keen to gurantee free and fair elections, parties and individuals
participating in the election process have to avoid non-democratic practices or those
which impair political work in Egypt, affect the reputation of an institution which we
should attend to its image and its role.
Brothers and Sisters,
Our vision of our foreign relations from all angles and dimensions is based upon its close
association with the national and international objectives we believe in. Through these
objectives, we seek to eliminate packets of tensions, put an end to the causes of violent
and acute conflicts resulting in shedding innocent blood, destabilizing and threatening
countries and peoples security and aborting progress and development efforts.
Therefore, as regard our foreign policy, we are committed to whatever enhance the
national security of Egypt and sisterly Arab countries and preserve the stability in the
Middle East region. Hence, Egypt has been and will be the party most interested in
bringing about a comprehensive, just peace in the region in accordance with the
provisions of law, principles of legitimacy, rules of equity and referential authority
approved by the international community. This necessitates, first of all, that serious and
positive moves should be made on various tracks. Negotiations among parties should be
made in a pari-passu-basis rather than to be based on concepts of supremacy and the
attempts to impose a status quo.
The starting-point for the peace process should be to liquidate Israeli occupation of the
Arab territories according to the legal reference authority agreed upon by the parties,
with the blessing of the international community. For the Palastenian territories and
Golan, such authority is represented in both Security Council resolutions 242 and 338.
The principle of land for peace and respect for national rights of the Palestinian people.
As regards complete withdrawal from South Lebanon, it should be carried out according
to the Security Council resolution No 425. Moreover, illegitimate unilateral acts
threatening the peace process, chief of which are the settlement activities and
confiscation of Arab land, should be avoided.
In the wake of Sharm el-Sheikh Summit last September, both the Palestinian Authority
and new Israeli government took important steps to implement the agreements
concluded earlier. We hope the rest of obligations and entitlements relative to the
interim period will be fulfilled, paving the way to the final status negotiations that
raise
highly important and sensitive issues. Accordingly, these negotiations will require
sincere
effort and good intentions by both parties. Furthermore, international powers that have a
special responsibility are required to exert good offices to help both parties overcome
the existing obstacles and differences. I need not affirm that Egypt will continue to
exert
persistent efforts to help both parties reach an agreement within the agreed time frame.
As I said before, change to me is not just a change of persons but most important is
change of performance systems and operating methods, in search for the best. It is also a
change of internal relations in such a way as to entrench the institutionalized state and
enable civil community organizations represented in parties, syndicates and associations
to expand the volume of this participation in public work.
However, change can not be demanded from the state only, but it is demanded from the
whole community. This is because achieving accelerating development that yields benefit
to all categories of the community is no longer limited to the state role alone. It is now
the responsibility of everybody, starting from the state institutions and the community to
individual citizens in the street, the factory, the field, or among his family home, and
kinsmen. We have to change ourselves if we want a deeper and more profound change
than changing some officials in various positions. It has to be a change that penetrates
into our public behaviour as a society and individuals who want to cut short the path of
progress and play their part in preparing the community to face challenges.
We have to change ourselves and go back to the spring of right valves that consider
work a religious duty that oblige everyman to master his work for God's sake, and
consider duty a national and moral resposnsibility before it would be an obligation under
the law.
Brothers and Sisters,
The most difficult and the most impossible targets can be achieved if there is will. It
will
happen also whenever planning is right, an impartial objective scientific outlook
prevails,
every intellectual is able to express his opinion freely, trust among different categories
of people is deepened, people's hearts are filled with enthusiasm for their own revival
and people act as real partners in the burdens as well as in the fruits of development.
This is the harvest of a long, tough experience that has asserted my deep trust in the
ability of Egyptian people to create miracles.
I will feel fully satisfied should our march hit our great goal during the new term of
presidency, namely to maintain increasing development rates in excess of 7% per
annum. This growth whose returns will be shared by all categories of the Egyptian
people, will push Egypt to list of average income countries.
Our march is ready to hit target because we have spared no effort and did our best to
create the right atmosphere to achieve this goal, in spite of obstacles and numerous
contingents which tried to curb the progress of development march and obstruct its goals.
I will feel more satisfied when I see new generations of Egyptian youth assume more
responsibilities of national work in continuing process that guarantees increasing flow of
experience and interaction between successive generations through healthy partnership
and a creative interaction.
Egypt is ready to hit target because it firmly believes in the basic role of stability in
realizing major national goals and because it adheres to the proper formula that
associates the needs of stability with demands of change. I will feel more satisfied when
the social dimension has turned into an integrated philosophy that governs every law and
decision. It should be supported by a coherent society where the values of solidarity
prevail, a society that honours its responsibility towards the least able categories,
respects man's integrity and his right to a descent life and caters for his basic needs.
I will feel more satisfied whenever I see the concept of institutionalized state firmly
established into ethos of every Egyptian as well as into the practice of all official
entities
and NGOs. This concept should guide their steps and guarantee the widest scope of
participation and stability to the decision-making process. It should further boost
collective status, enhance commitment to impartiality and transparency, and due
observance of the public interests in every step we take.
We pray Allah Almighty to help us achieve these goals, support and assist us, guide us
exclusively to the path of good and righteousness. He is the Best Custodian and
Supporter. May Allah's peace and mercy be upon you.
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