The Egyptian government has asked the Inter-Parliamentary Union to postpone the celebration of International Democracy Day, which was scheduled to take place in Cairo on 15 September, re-scheduling it to the first half of October, due the attacks on the Israeli embassy, the Interior Ministry and the Giza Security Directorate.
Union Secretary General Anders Johnson said the union understands the situation in Egypt and is confident that the Egyptian people are able of controlling the transition to democracy.
“The latest incidents made us insist on holding the celebration in Egypt,” he said. “There is no other place on earth to celebrate democracy than Egypt.”
Union President Ben Gurirab, for his part, said he understands the meaning of revolution, as he was a leader in the liberalization movement of Namibia. “The Egyptian revolution is still peaceful, despite those incidents,” he said.
“It is healthy for the people to get rid of their political and social frustrations through a revolution, provided it is done in a responsible way that preserves the country and its institutions,” he added, confirming that he would personally attend the celebration.
The Union unanimously decided to hold the celebration in Egypt in appreciation of its transition to democracy.
Translated from the Arabic Edition
