US wants assurances that Egypt transition talks aren't a sham
President Obama reiterates his call for the political transition in Egypt to begin now and to include 'a broad representation' of the opposition. The talks did not get off to a promising start Thursday.
Egyptian antigovernment protesters gathered in Tahrir Square watch a screen showing US President Obama live on a TV broadcast from Washington, speaking about the situation in Egypt, early Wednesday.
Lefteris Pitarakis/AP
Washington
President Obama on Friday repeated his position that Egypt鈥檚 path forward must be determined by the Egyptian people 鈥� a statement that seemed designed in part to dampen speculation that the US has demanded privately that Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak leave office now.
But Mr. Obama did lay down some markers for the months of transition that lie ahead, and among them was a pointed insistence that not only must the transition begin now, but that the talks and deliberations that will define Egypt鈥檚 future must include all sectors of the country鈥檚 political and social life.
Without directly saying so, Obama 鈥� who has been walking a tightrope between Egypt鈥檚 protesters and America鈥檚 longtime friend, Mr. Mubarak 鈥� suggested the US has concluded that the reality on the ground means that a 鈥渕eaningful鈥� transition can only occur with Mubarak out of power. He said he hoped that Mubarak, who 鈥渃ares about his country鈥� and is 鈥渁lso a patriot,鈥� would 鈥渆nd up making the right decision.鈥�
The US president鈥檚 emphasis was on a transition that starts now and includes all Egyptians. 鈥淣egotiations [for Egypt鈥檚 political reform] should include a broad representation of the Egyptian opposition,鈥� Obama said in brief comments to the White House press.
Those words reflect the efforts by a range of US officials who are pressing their Egyptian counterparts to ensure that a series of talks led by Vice President Omar Suleiman 鈥� talks which began haltingly on Thursday 鈥� include all opposition groups and are not a sham exercise.
Obama said the transition in Egypt must be 鈥渆ffective and lasting and legitimate.鈥� Paving the way for that to occur, he said, would determine Mubarak鈥檚 legacy.
Administration officials were working for the next meeting on negotiating a transition, set for Saturday, to include a much more representative cross-section of the Egyptian opposition than the Thursday meeting. That meeting, which Mr. Suleiman had said would include representatives of Egyptian youth and the opposition, got nowhere according to US officials.
One problem is that so far, major opposition groups have refused to partake in any government-led dialogue until Mubarak is out of the picture.
Obama, who said he had spoken with Mubarak twice since the crisis began 11 days ago, said he told the Egyptian leader that 鈥渢he only thing that will work is 鈥� an orderly transition process that begins right now.鈥�
US diplomats and national security officials were said to be suggesting ways for the transition talks to get under way in a meaningful manner.
Administration officials were hoping that Friday鈥檚 return to relative calm in Cairo would facilitate an environment in which the 鈥渂road鈥� negotiations the US wants could begin in earnest.
As Obama said in his statement: 鈥淲e want to see this moment of turmoil turn into a moment of opportunity.鈥�