Egyptian Interior Minister Mansour al-Essawy on Monday pledged to secure elections slated for latter this year without interfering in the electoral process, as was the case during ousted President Hosni Mubarak’s rule.
Essawi made the statement on Monday following a meeting with his aides, security managers and various department heads to discuss the ministry’s preparations for parliamentary elections to be held in November.
In a press statement, Essawi said, “the ministry and all officers will deal impartially with all political movements and forces.”
“In previous years, the Interior Ministry rigged the elections in accordance with an institutionalized system which was running the country,” said Essawi. “However, we will not rig the elections this time, as following the revolution our role is to be neutral and to enforce the law on everyone.”
Essawi went on to say that the Interior Ministry’s responsibility is to maintain homeland security and to make every effort to achieve stability. He added that the ministry's plan for the current phase is to fight crime and eliminate criminal activity.
Essawi met with a number of officials to discuss renewed activation of the emergency law and cases where the law would take effect. He stressed that all valid arrest warrants would require his personal signature.
Translated from the Arabic Edition
