Cablegate: Proposed Statement On Egyptian Presidential

This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLAS CAIRO 006915

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV EG
SUBJECT: PROPOSED STATEMENT ON EGYPTIAN PRESIDENTIAL
ELECTIONS

Sensitive but unclassified. Please protect accordingly.

(SBU) Below is post's proposed text of a statement on Egypt's
September 7 presidential elections. Post suggests it be
released at 4:00 p.m. Washington time, after polls in Egypt
have closed.

Begin text:

The United States congratulates the Egyptian people on the
holding of the first-ever multi-party presidential elections
in Egypt. This is a significant milestone in Egypt's
movement to full democracy. The opposition had unprecedented
access to the media and the right of assembly through public
demonstrations that were largely free of violence. (Voting
also occurred without widespread violence or intimidation.**)
We believe that the presence of international observers and
access for domestic monitors to the polling stations would
only have strengthened this important step.

Egyptian voters will return to the polls later this year to
elect a new parliament. We hope Egypt will build on today's
success and conduct elections that meet the objective
standards that define every free election.

End text.

**To be used if there are no reports of violence on election
day.

Visit Embassy Cairo's Classified Website:
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/cairo

You can also access this site through the
State Department's Classified SIPRNET website.

RICCIARDONE

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