Watan-The opposition figure and former presidential candidate Ahmed Al-Tantawi launched an attack on the speech of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and his swearing-in for a third presidential term on Tuesday, describing it as repetitive rhetoric of unfulfilled promises over the past 10 years.
Ahmed Al-Tantawi stated in a post on the (X) platform regarding Sisi’s speech: “This speech is typical and does not carry anything new or extraordinary. The speech comes amidst numerous promises of a new republic while failing to offer creative or genuine solutions.”
He added about Abdel Fattah el-Sisi’s tenure: “Everything presented over the past ten years has been promises without substance.”
Elaborating further, he said: “It comes after the media and figures loyal to the authority and the ruling regime claimed it would include important steps, solutions, and decisions, which turned out to be untrue.”
#أحمد_الطنطاوي عن خطاب الرئيس لولاية ثالثة:
“هذا الخطاب نمطيٌ ولا يحمل أيَّ جديدٍ أو غيرَ اعتيادي. الخطابُ يأتي وسطَ وعودٍ كثيرة بجمهوريةٍ جديدة بينما لا يقدم حلولًا خلاقة أو حقيقية. كلُّ ما قُدم على مدار السنوات العشْر الماضية كان عهودًا بلا أرضية. كما وأنه يجيء بعدما قال… pic.twitter.com/7Oa0hBWbIs
— Ahmed Altantawy – أحمد الطنطاوي (@a_altantawyeg) April 3, 2024
Al-Tantawi continued regarding Sisi’s speech during the oath-taking: “The speech was weak, unrealistic, insincere, and lacks the necessary respect for the Egyptian people, who the president should submit to their will as a public servant.”
The former Egyptian deputy, who was unable to run for presidential elections due to security and intelligence pressures from Sisi on him, urged strongly: “We demand transparency and honesty with the great Egyptian people who have been deceived for ten years with promises and illusions, and who suffer under debt, poverty, a deteriorating human rights record, and real threats to national security and rampant corruption that we will pay the price for future generations.”
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, who has faced continuous criticism for his appalling human rights violations, took the constitutional oath for a new presidential term of six years on Tuesday, April 2, 2024, and presented 7 presidential promises in a controversial speech.
Facing members of the Egyptian parliament in the new administrative capital, Sisi did not hesitate to use Quranic verses “to touch emotions,” as confirmed by Egyptian observers.
Prior to Sisi’s oath-taking ceremony, his attendance at the ceremony was met with sharp criticism in a country suffering economically. Following the ceremony, the Egyptian president recited “two verses from the Quran about sovereignty and governance,” with the first verse stating: {Say, “O Allah, Owner of Sovereignty, You give sovereignty to whom You will and You take sovereignty away from whom You will. You honor whom You will and You humble whom You will. In Your hand is [all] good. Indeed, You are over all things competent.”}.