February 1st, 2011 by Naureen

On Tuesday, President Barack Obama made a statement on the events in Egypt and his conversations with President Hosni Mubarak. Obama began by praising the Egyptian military for its restraint and professionalism: “I urge the military to continue its efforts to ensure this time of change is peaceful.”

He went on to say that the U.S. “stands for freedom of information and expression” and stated that going forward the U.S. will continue to support democracy. “We have spoken out on behalf of the need for change,” he said and mentioned that in conversations with Mubarak he expressed that “those of us who are privileged to serve in positions of power, do so at the will of the people.” Obama stated that “Mubarak recognizes that the status quo is not sustainable.”

He also stated that it is not the role of any country to determine Egypt’s leaders: “To the people of Egypt, particularly the young people of Egypt, I want to be clear: we hear your voices…and I believe that you will determine your own destiny.” Obama also stressed that, “Orderly transition must be meaningful, must be peaceful, and must begin now...the process of change should lead to elections that are free and fair and meet the aspirations of the people… There will be difficult days ahead. Many questions remain unanswered. But I am confident Egyptian people will find those answers…and the U.S. stands ready to assist the Egyptian people in the aftermath of these protests.

Update: To see his full statement click here.

Posted in Democracy Promotion, Egypt, Elections, Protests, Reform, Upcoming Events |