US urges Egypt to implement rights under new constitution (BLOG)

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyLX3P4k4UQPivTvzkknq483f6NDImXj-A5MloJsYJUSHfn6kLccM_IhfjL-nno4SQ3qbGY4PAjXlyqdTex7cr8het_LSnEQ-d9G1SDNkJHgRN3AJzfa8LV-cNftbF5aqnFO78kaABoTc/s1600/6add3d3f3c08686b958cdbf7cd3ada660e24fb56.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyLX3P4k4UQPivTvzkknq483f6NDImXj-A5MloJsYJUSHfn6kLccM_IhfjL-nno4SQ3qbGY4PAjXlyqdTex7cr8het_LSnEQ-d9G1SDNkJHgRN3AJzfa8LV-cNftbF5aqnFO78kaABoTc/s1600/6add3d3f3c08686b958cdbf7cd3ada660e24fb56.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div id="yui_3_9_1_1_1390158108061_14287" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">Washington (AFP) - The United States Saturday called on Egypt to fully implement the rights guaranteed under its newly approved constitution.</div><div id="yui_3_9_1_1_1390158108061_14312" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">US Secretary of State John Kerry cautioned in a statement, however, that "it's not one vote that determines a democracy."Egyptian voters approved the constitution by more than 98 percent in a referendum result that the government hailed as a popular endorsement of the army's overthrow of Islamist President Mohammed Morsi.</div><div id="yui_3_9_1_1_1390158108061_14332" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">He added "it's what comes next that will shape Egypt's political, economic and social framework for generations.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">"As Egypt’s transition proceeds, the United States urges the interim Egyptian government to fully implement those rights and freedoms that are guaranteed in the new constitution for the benefit of the Egyptian people, and to take steps towards reconciliation," he stressed.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">"The brave Egyptians who stood vigil in Tahrir Square did not risk their lives in a revolution to see its historic potential squandered in the transition," Kerry said, adding that Egyptian leaders must "make difficult compromises and seek a broad consensus on many divisive issues."</div><div class="body-related" style="background-color: white; clear: right; float: right; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; position: relative;"><a class="body-related-link body-related-image go-to-slideshow-lightbox rapid-noclick-resp landscape onesize get-lbdata-from-dom" data-rapid_p="8" data-uuid="d95c02e1-1cfb-3fa4-9cc8-418020527c1a" href="http://news.yahoo.com/photos/us-secretary-state-john-kerry-c-meets-members-photo-210008763.html" style="color: #324fe1; cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 300px; position: relative; text-decoration: none;" title="US Secretary of State John Kerry (C) meets with members&nbsp;&hellip;"><div class="img-wrap" style="position: relative;"><div class="cta-overlay" style="-webkit-transition: background-color 0.24s linear; font-size: 13px; height: 220px; left: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; transition: background-color 0.24s linear; width: 300px;"><span class="clearfix title cta-text medium" style="-webkit-transition: opacity 0.24s linear; color: white; font-size: 16px; left: 5px; opacity: 0; position: absolute; top: 5px; transition: opacity 0.24s linear; white-space: pre-wrap; width: 270px; zoom: 1;"></span><span class="cta-text xsmall" style="-webkit-transition: opacity 0.24s linear; bottom: 5px; color: white; font-size: 16px; margin-left: 42px; opacity: 0; position: absolute; transition: opacity 0.24s linear;">View gallery</span><span class="icon-slideshow icon-white-slideshow-xsmall" style="-webkit-transition: opacity 0.16s linear; background-color: #324fe1; background-image: url(data:image/svg+xml; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; background-size: cover; border-bottom-left-radius: 4px; border-bottom-right-radius: 4px; border-top-left-radius: 4px; border-top-right-radius: 4px; bottom: 5px; cursor: pointer; height: 23px; left: 5px; line-height: 0; opacity: 0; padding: 0px; position: absolute; text-indent: -1000em; transition: opacity 0.16s linear; width: 32px; z-index: 1;"></span></div><img alt="US Secretary of State John Kerry (C) meets with members&nbsp;&hellip;" class="body-related-thumb" data-src-2x="" height="220" src="http://l3.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/IsPmSSEFS1IRwqv0Ffe73A--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTIyMDtxPTc1O3c9MzAw/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/afp.com/6a2e1c8a35a6c2e569463068eb5c24362f21584c.jpg" style="-webkit-transition: opacity 0.3333s ease 0ms; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; border: 0px; display: block; opacity: 1 !important; transition: opacity 0.3333s ease 0ms; vertical-align: baseline; visibility: visible !important;" width="300" /></div></a><div class="body-related-title photo-caption" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: grey; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16.5px; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 100%; padding: 5px 5px 0px 0px; position: relative; width: 300px;">US Secretary of State John Kerry (C) meets with members of the Egyptian Department of Defence leader …</div></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">Kerry said the United States had longstanding concerns about respect for political rights in Egypt.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">"We have consistently expressed our serious concern about the limits on freedom of peaceful assembly and expression in Egypt, including leading up to the referendum, just as we expressed our concerns about the dangerous path Egypt's elected government had chosen in the year that lead to 2013's turbulence," he said.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">So "the United States again urges all sides to condemn and prevent violence and to move towards an inclusive political process based on the rule of law and respect for the fundamental freedoms of all Egyptians," Kerry added.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">The top US diplomat also said that allowing international observers for elections could help build public trust.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">The new charter replaces an Islamist-inspired one adopted in a December 2012 referendum under Morsi with about two-thirds of the vote and a 33 percent turnout.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">The military removed Morsi days after millions of protesters began rallying against him on June 30, setting off months of unrest by his followers who decried what they called a "coup."</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">Army chief Abdel Fattah al-Sisi is expected to make up his mind on a presidential bid now that the results have been announced, with his backers already calling for a rally on January 25 to emphasize their support.</div><div id="yui_3_9_1_1_1390158108061_14351" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.000001907348633px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">Presidential and parliamentary elections have been promised for later this year.</div></div>

US urges Egypt to implement rights under new constitution (BLOG)

Washington (AFP) - The United States Saturday called on Egypt to fully implement the rights guaranteed under its newly approved constitution...

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