Egypt’s interim president, Adly Mansour, during his interview with Asharq Al-Awsat on October 5 (Asharq Al-Awsat)
“The King was the first to have sent me a congratulatory telegram a few hours after I was assigned the presidency, even before I was sworn in,” Mansour told Asharq Al-Awsat.
He added: “It is no secret when I say that the majority of Egyptians felt that the content of the King’s congratulatory letter expressed what they were feeling at that critical stage.”
In the interview which Asharq Al-Awsat will publish in two parts in the coming days, Mansour said that under the existing “roadmap” for Egypt’s political transition parliamentary elections will be held prior to the presidential poll, denying reports to the contrary.
Mansour also said that Egypt’s political decision-making is completely independent and is based on what serves best the national interest.
According to the interim president, support from Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries has been a major factor in ensuring the independence of the country’s political apparatus.
Also in the interview, Mansour emphasized that Egyptians will in no way accept any violation of their country’s sovereignty or interference in its internal affairs.
Commenting on tensions with Qatar, Mansour said: “Those who want to support Egypt in line with the strategic vision the Egyptian government has adopted are welcome,” adding that those who think that they can “draw a specific path for us to follow in exchange for aid,” will be rejected both by his government and by the public.
As for the Muslim Brotherhood, the Egyptian president told Asharq Al-Awsat that the Islamist group has been seeking foreign support since the mass protests that toppled ex-president Mursi, an approach which he said was unacceptable to Egyptians.
Mansour, also said that one of the main reasons for the collapse of the former Islamist regime is its decision to rely on its own members and followers, to the exclusion of the rest of Egyptian society.
The full text of Asharq Al-Awsat’s interview with President Adly Mansour will be published in English soon.