January 31st, 2011 by Naureen

In a statement released on Friday, Chairwoman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs Ileana Ros-Lehtinen said, “For far too long the democratic hopes of the Egyptian people have been suppressed. Their cries for freedom can no longer be silenced.” She also voiced concerns over the government’s use of force and that “certain extremist elements inside Egypt will manipulate the current situation for nefarious ends” and called for the U.S. and others to support the “pursuit of freedom, democracy, and human rights.” On Saturday, Ros-Lehtinen also called for new elections: “The Egyptian people need to be afforded a peaceful venue to express their will. Mr. Mubarak should listen to the demands of the Egyptian people for freedom and immediately schedule legitimate, democratic, internationally-recognized elections.” She also added that “the U.S. should learn from past mistakes and support a process which only includes candidates who meet basic standards for leaders of responsible nations: candidates who have publicly renounced terrorism, uphold the rule of law, recognize Egypt’s international commitments including its nonproliferation obligations and its peace agreement with the Jewish State of Israel, and who ensure security and peace with its neighbors.”

Posted in Egypt, Elections, Protests, Reform, US foreign policy |