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April 18th, 2012 
FAKE NEWS for the Zionist agenda The comment comes as the country’s presidential election, due on May 23 and 24, draws near, while a run-off will be held from June 16 to 17, if necessary.
Press TV has conducted an interview with London-based writer and journalist, Adel Lotfy, to discuss whether the first presidential election after the fall of Egypt’s former dictator Hosni Mubarak will be the free and fair vote the revolutionaries had hoped for.
The video also offers the opinions of two other guests: Egypt’s Former Deputy Foreign Minister, Hussein Haridy and director of the Center for Middle East Studies Hisham Jaber from Beirut.
What follows is an approximate transcription of the interview.
Press TV: Mr. Lotfi, would you also agree with the comments being made there by our guest in Cairo that actually these people were qualified to make this decision and basically the fact that this has happened that these people were disqualified and now they appealed this disqualification; how has all this influenced the political atmosphere of the elections in Egypt?
Lotfy: Actually I believe that those judges are capable judges and they have the experience, the capability and the knowledge and the integrity to make such decisions.
But the trouble is and that’s very serious trouble the constitutional declaration declared by the junta is illegal, unconstitutional and it defies human rights and legality, especially when it comes to choosing the president for example you have people who were sentenced by military courts, they were convicted by military courts in fake fabricated cases, somebody else like Ayman Noor probably faced the same fate in a civil court.
But these were false trials, when you talk about those who had foreign nationalities or their parents or close relatives who had foreign nationality. Actually that is sick that is against human rights, an Egyptian is an Egyptian.
I am an Egyptian. I have been in Britain since school days. I have been here over 30 years and I do love Egypt more than anywhere else. Why should I not I be allowed to go and contend in such a race and try to serve my country in any way in my capacity.
So the rule is bad. The base is wrong and rotten but the committee is OK and has made the right decisions though there is political interference behind it from the military council specially when it comes to Omar Suleiman because they feel that there man would cause a new revolution in Egypt.
Press TV: Mr. Lotfi, we have one major figure in Egypt, Mohammad ElBaradei, he’s been saying that in his view the fact that the military has been calling for this constitution to be written before the election- He said in his own words this is a travesty of the political process in Egypt, that the Egyptian people deserve much more than this when we are speaking of the new constitution of the new and the future Egypt.
Basically do you think that the military as our guest in Cairo is saying is actually looking for a way to turn back to the military barracks?
It’s not looking to maintain its influence that beats exemption from civilian oversight of its budget for instance but it did suggest at one point?
Lotfy: Before the revolution started, months before the revolution and on this very channel and others, I and others said that the intellectuals of Egypt, including Mr. Baradei and some other big names should form council of wise men who would embrace the revolution when it happens and form a transitional government accepted to everybody.
And it would have been welcomed by everybody but the trouble is Minister ElBaradei is no leader. He is a nice man but he is no leader. I still encourage the Egyptians to go and to be around him and to encourage their intelligence here, to stand around the man, to form that transitional government.
But nothing has taken place and unfortunately the Muslim Brotherhood stoved up the revolution, they killed it up, finished it and we are back in square one and we have again to think about forming a presidential council for wise men including or headed by Mr. ElBaradei.
He is no leader but he is the symbol of this revolution. He is a nice man. He is intelligent and if the intelligence here and the intellectuals and the notables of Egypt stand by him and be responsible because they are not, all that we are seeing on the surface all people who are the products of the old regime.
Press TV: The question is Mr. Lotfi would you say however the question was is the military in your view going to maintain its power? Is that after going back to its barracks or trying to stay in power holding on?
Lotfy:From the 11th of February last year I said on this channel to the Egyptian guys: stay in the square; don’t move; don’t budge but they were fooled by the intellectuals of Egypt and they were fooled by the Muslim Brotherhood. The Egyptians are very forgiving and very forgetful. They are not going to budge. They are not going to go.
Press TV: Speaking of the Muslim Brotherhood, sorry to interrupt you because we are short of time, I’d just like to continue with this discussion with our guest in Beirut.
VG/GHN
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