Seventeen Pledges by Dr. Mohamed Morsi to Egyptians before Runoff Elections

Seventeen Pledges by Dr. Mohamed Morsi to Egyptians before Runoff Elections

Dr. Mohamed Morsi, the Muslim Brotherhood’s candidate for president in Egypt, held a news conference on Tuesday afternoon, which began with Morsi expressing deep gratitude and sincere appreciation for all the spectra of the Egyptian people for the trust and confidence they reposed in him during the first round for the first presidential election after the glorious January 25 revolution. He also expressed his hope to win their confidence in the upcoming run-off contest.

Dr. Morsi, the Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) Chairman, addressed all Egyptians, stressing that he will be the president for all people, keen on their interests and their participation in the rejuvenation of their homeland, and determined to energize and develop the whole country and achieve social justice advocated by the January 25 revolution.

Dr. Morsi said: I announce before the Egyptian people, the legitimate source of power and the only authority I should make my pledges to, and I openly and whole-heartedly commit to the following:

First: Creating a presidential institution, with a number of national honorable experts and statesmen, including Vice-Presidents, assistants, and advisers from all national movements and stakeholders, and from presidential candidates and revolutionary youth, women, and all the components of the national community.

Second: Forming a broad-coalition government, including all national stakeholders and experts, in which the Prime Minister will not necessarily be from the Brotherhood or its political wing, the FJP.

Third: Expediting the restructuring of the Constituent Assembly entrusted with writing the country’s new national charter, so it should be representative of all spectra of the national community, and endeavoring to complete the writing of the Constitution as soon as I win the elections, without interfering in the affairs of parliament.

Fourth: Restoring to the streets security, safety and stability, and protecting the dignity of citizens at home and abroad.
Fifth: I pledge to mothers of martyrs fair re-trials with new and powerful evidence against all the culprits.

Sixth: Committing to Al-Azhar Document, where Egypt is to be a constitutional modern democracy, and the Democratic Alliance Code of Honor, as well as the second Al-Azhar Document on public freedoms.

Seventh: Endeavoring to serve the best interests of single mothers, workers, craftsmen, professionals and drivers of minibuses, taxis and tuk-tuks (popular tri-cycle means of transportation).

Eighth: Respecting all the constitutional rights of all Egyptians, and public and private freedoms, and the rights of citizenship.

Ninth: Engaging Copts as part of the institution of the presidency and the government.

Tenth: Writing-off the debt of farmers, reviving cultivation of long-staple cotton, purchasing that from farmers at international prices, and rebuilding the long-staple cotton industries.

Eleventh: Upholding the honor and dignity of the Egyptian police and armed forces, so they will lose none of their rights – moral or material – under my rule.

Twelfth: Upholding all the rights of Egyptian working women, equal to men. They will enjoy their complete personal freedom.

Thirteenth: Safeguarding the freedom of the press. No pen or opinion will be blocked and no print or broadcast media outlet will be shut down, under my reign, taking into account the law and the code of ethics among journalists.

Fourteenth: Doubling the minimum social-security pension to 300 Egyptian Pounds, and making the minimum pension commensurate with the last income received by the pensioner in his or her job, and actually applying the minimum wage rules of 700 Egyptian Pounds (US$117) for those with medium qualifications and 840 Egyptian Pounds for higher qualifications.

Fifteenth: I will not extend the state of emergency, with no need for us to extend them after that at all.

Sixteenth: Upholding the freedom to demonstrate and the right of peaceful protest, and protecting the protesters, without compromising the interests of the nation, disrupting production, damaging private property or harming the public.

Seventeenth: Doubling the minimum in employing people with special needs from 5% to 10%.

Dr. Morsi further affirmed that what he said above is his true commitment to the people and not just some reassurance.

At the conclusion of the conference, Dr. Mohamed Morsi once again expressed his profound thanks to all components and denominations of the Egyptian people, and promised to make every effort in order for the Presidential institution to be inclusive of all Egyptians, unbiased to any faction, denomination or orientation.