Inhofe: Fast-track Egyptian elections

Senator Jim Inhofe

Senator Jim Inhofe

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), ranking member of the Senate Armed Services (SASC) Committee, today issued the following statement responding to recent events in Egypt and encouraging the interim government to fast-track the necessary presidential and parliamentary elections:

“Over the last year, Mohamed Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood have betrayed and disappointed millions of Egyptians who yearn for a democratic and inclusive government.  As I predicted from the onset, the Morsi administration’s time in office has been marred by the systematic repression of religious minorities, economic collapse, and a failure to provide basic services to its people.  These failures have caused the Egyptian people to rise up and declare their government unfit to lead.

“The United States must stand in support of the Egyptian people and their military. The military has consistently been viewed by an overwhelming majority of Egyptians as the most trusted institution in the country and the protector of their rights.

“For over thirty years, the United States has helped to train Egypt’s military which remains key to maintaining stability in the region and peace with Israel. I urge the interim government to move prudently but quickly towards overhauling the suspended constitution and to fast-track the subsequent presidential and parliamentary elections that underpin democratic principles,” Inhofe concluded.

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