Italy / Egypt: The road to democracy must continue without violence, says Terzi

ROME, Italy, November 23, 2011/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- Egypt: The road to democracy must continue without violence, says Terzi

“Egypt's road to democracy must continue with full respect for legality and non-violence”. Speaking was Minister Giulio Terzi, who underscored that the Egyptian army has played “a very positive part in the first stage” of the Egyptian revolution, with the desire “to act as a guarantee on the road leading to a Constitution for the country”. The European Union, which has appealed for “calm” and an end to the violence, hopes that “the forthcoming elections will be conducted in a sincere democratic spirit”.

Michael Mann, the spokesperson of the EU's High Representative for Foreign Policy, Catherine Ashton, said that for the short term the EU is focusing on political pressure and in the long term on a sort of economic pressure, to spur reforms leading to greater democracy. With the new neighbourhood policy, the EU is applying the principle of “more funds to those introducing most reforms”.

Ashton's spokesperson underscored that if reforms take place then the EU will provide more money for neighbouring partner countries such as Egypt. After the authorities refused to accept missions of international observers at the forthcoming elections, the EU made its own contribution to help monitor the correct conduct of the electoral process by providing funds for the National Electoral Commission.

From Geneva the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, deplored the use of force against the demonstrators in Cairo's Tahrir Square and called for a “prompt, impartial and independent investigation”. In a declaration issued in Geneva, Pillay urged the Egyptian authorities “to end the clearly excessive use of force against protestors in Tahrir square and elsewhere in the country”.