21/1/2014

The outcome of the referendum was a victory for the people who discovered that taking responsibility by saying “Yes” saves the future of our country, our children and our economy. With a yes vote of 98.1 %, people who took the trouble to slip a tiny piece of paper into the ballot box have struck a lasting blow to terrorism, extremism and violence, thus reaffirming our right to stability and security.

A closer look at the voting demographics through statistics and published photos shows that women represented the largest number of voters endorsing this constitution. The women of this country stood patiently in line, voted, then celebrated the success of the referendum by ululating, singing and dancing in the streets.

The general consensus in this country is to nominate Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Sisi for president. If al-Sisi runs for president, he is almost certainly guaranteed to win. But the question we should be asking ourselves is this: what can he do to fulfill the aspirations of our people?

We know that al-Sisi is a man who knows how to act in a timely manner and take risks if needed, as he did when he backed the June 30 Revolution, and again when on July 3, when he removed the former president from power and replaced him with Adly Mansour, the head of the country’s Supreme Constitutional Court, which had been at the receiving end of much abuse by the outgoing regime. All of the above makes al-Sisi a popular leader, and many people now see him as their savior.

But running a country requires a full range of skills and we must examine al-Sisi’s qualifications. Here I wish to share with the readers what I heard from people who have worked closely with the general and observed his style of management:

1. The general is a good listener who carefully considers the views of those around him before making up his mind.

2. Due to his background in military intelligence, al-Sisi authored in-depth studies about our most important internal problems, including health, education and housing.

3. Being a devout man himself, he is best suited to rule this country at a time of division and turbulence.

Translated from Al Yom 7