EU mission expelled from Cairo seminar organised by the National Council for Women

Ambassador Mirvat Tilawi, Chair of the National Council for Women, on Saturday expelled an European Union observers delegation for submitting a report criticising the presidential elections and citing cases of sexual harassment during last week’s presidential elections. The delegation was expelled from the Opera House where the National Council for Women was holding a seminar on women’s political participation in the presidential elections.

Tilawi told the observers delegation: “The role of the European Union mission is to observe the elections taking place in front of you and to assess whether they are fair or not. This is the sole objective of your mission which you failed to undertake.”

She added: “We are proud of our army, proud of our people, proud of our new president for Egypt. This is how it will be whether you like it or not.”

Tilwai went on to say: “The delegation was supposed to submit its report now, but let it be known that we shall not accept it.” She addressed the mission head saying to her: “Please retreat and get out. You are expelled from the Middle East.”

The EU mission left the hall amid cheers from the crowd who shouted “God is Great”. Once the EU delegation was out, Tilawi resumed the seminar.

An EU delegation member commented on their expulsion from the seminar by saying to Al Masry Al youm newspaper: “What has happened is dictatorship. We have been working in the monitoring of elections in Cairo for a long time. The one who was expelled was the head of the mission.”

Tilawi addressing the seminar attendees including the EU mission:

Someone who has come to observe, what has he got to do with the judiciary so as to talk about its ruling? This is second. Third, they talk about the activities of civil society associations (NGOs) and claim that they are shackled and that they are not permitted to work. This is outside the boundaries of the mission for which you came. There are many other things as well that in fact undermines the value of the European Union and its presence as an observer of elections anywhere and not just in Egypt. They have, in this way, lost their credibility. They insist on and continue their hostility toward Egypt and keep insisting that the 30th of June revolution was not a revolution. They deny the Egyptian people their desire which became apparent on 30 June and which became apparent in the elections as expressed in the overwhelming joy. They, actually, want to turn this into doom and gloom so as to prosecute us outside and say that the elections were rigged and that they should be repeated.

Tahani Al-Gebali, former member of Egypt’s Supreme Constitutional Court, addressing the seminar:

Everything that is written in this report comprises an orchestrated and designed plot. It is all forgery and fraud. It may represent something of value for them because it is intended to be one of those reports they release to the world’s public opinion in a bid to pressure Egypt and pressure the will of the Egyptian people and the revolution of the Egyptian people. However, we say to them from the heart of Cairo that the Egyptian people know well that they revolted against a fascist organisation that is lackey to the Western intelligence agencies, in the United States of America and in some member state of the European Union.

I even refuse their presence in this hall in our midst because they only represent an opinion that is hostile to Egypt. We do not accept that the enemies of Egypt remain in our midst. I request ambassador Tilawi to ask them to leave this hall.

Tilawi addressing the EU mission (in English)

The European Union continue to be enemy to Egypt, you are the losers and we are the winners. You are out of the Middle East.