“The elections were honest on the part of the state, and the rigging that happened was on the part of those who participated,” Prime Minister Kamal al-Ganzouri said at a press conference Saturday.
He said that over the past few days the country "has witnessed major conflicts for the sake of the presidential election, and Egypt is the biggest loser.” He said the conflicts have contributed to the worsening economic situation, the lowering of Egypt's credit rating, and the sharp decline in stock indexes.
Ganzouri explained that his government, which began its work on 7 December, came to “save the people of Egypt, the peasants, the poor, the weak and the rich.” The government began by restoring security in a way that could be felt by the average citizen, he said, aiming to control the deteriorating economic situation and solve the problems of ordinary citizens.
“The government, starting from the first day, did not aspire to authority, and did not work for or against any authority, but worked for the Egyptian community,” he said.
“We worked in conditions that will never be forgotten of the history of Egypt,” Ganzouri said, claiming that he exerted more effort over the past few months than in his 22 years of public service. He said he has held 22 meetings with members of both houses of Parliament since December.
He accused unidentified countries of meddling in Egypt’s internal affairs: “If these countries had sincere intentions, they would have said their opinion through diplomatic methods rather than speaking out in the media.”
The military-appointed prime minister said he asked all ministers to prepare a work document listing the problems their ministries face and how to solve them.
“Our Egypt requires us to keep working until the last minute and to pay our duty to each farmer and citizen.” He said he knows his cabinet is temporary, but he is preparing these documents for all parties and citizens, calling for reconciliation.
Ganzouri denied rumors about members of his family leaving the country, but said his daughter has gone to check on her son who is studying abroad.
“These are lies and fabrications. None of my family has left the country. This is a form of [verbal] terrorism, which aims to send a message that Egypt will burn out tomorrow,” he said. “I have lived and will die here. Egypt will not be hurt by what is published in the media”
Ganzouri also denied rumors about other officials, businessmen and their families leaving the country.
