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Egypt’s enemy wants to stop free vote

11 October 2011 23:18 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. Iran says the recent deadly clashes between Muslims, Coptic Christians and military forces in Egypt are part of an enemy plot to prevent free elections in the country, APA reports quoting Press TV.

â€œThe enemies are aware if the Egyptian nation finds the opportunity to hold free elections and a popular and revolutionary government comes to power in this country, it will stand beside Iran and on the divine path of resistance,â€ Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Tuesday, the president’s office reported on its website.

â€œThe enemies know that if Egyptians hold free elections, without a doubt an anti-arrogant, anti-Zionist government will come to power and this is why they do not want to allow the Egyptian nation to go near the polls,â€ the Presidential website quoted Ahmadinejad as saying.

Ahmadinejad blamed the recent tribal and sectarian conflicts in post-revolution Egypt on the enemies attempting to lure Egyptians into internal conflicts and prevent them from engaging in regional and international issues.

â€œDiscord and creating divisions are plots hatched by those who intend to dominate countries,â€ Ahmadinejad cautioned.

He expressed certainty that the great nation of Egypt would find its way in the end and urged all factions and ethnic groups to join hands to build a bright future filled with justice.

The remarks come after 25 people, mostly Coptic Christians, died and nearly 300 people sustained injuries on Sunday night after clashes broke out over a large section of downtown Cairo. The altercations drew in Christians, Muslims and security forces.

Riots broke out after a sit-in protest outside the state television building by about 1,000 Christian protesters was attacked by club-wielding â€œthugs.â€

The incident prompted a night-time curfew on Monday on Cairo’s Liberation Square as well as the downtown area.

Despite the curfew, more clashes were reported outside Cairo’s Coptic hospital, where many of the Christian victims wounded during Sunday’s violence were taken.

Egyptians put an end the four-decade rule of Western-backed dictator Hosni Mubarak in mid-February but their demands for a democratic, civilian rule have yet to be met.