CAIRO (AP) – Egypt’s president on Saturday defiantly dismissed criticism of his handling of the country’s ailing economy, arguing that the skeptics were seeking to undermine the will of Egyptians.
In comments marking the first anniversary of the inauguration of an expansion of the Suez Canal, President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi strongly hinted that the now-banned Muslim Brotherhood was behind a persistent campaign to cast doubt on the economic worthiness of several mega projects his government has undertaken.
El-Sissi, a general-turned-politician, said a foiled assassination attempt on Egypt’s former mufti in Cairo on Friday was designed to “spoil” the joy of Egyptians over the waterway’s anniversary.
“It is the implementation of the rule of either we rule or kill you,” said el-Sissi, who led the military’s 2013 ouster of the Brotherhood’s Mohammed Morsi, whose one year in office proved divisive and prompted mass street protests. Sheikh Ali Gomaa, the former mufti and a zealous supporter of Morsi’s ouster, was unharmed in the attack, for which a little-known group claimed responsibility.
El-Sissi’s latest comments were his most detailed on the growing criticism of his economic policies, particularly the feasibility of the massive and costly projects he has opted to launch since his June 2014 election. These include the Suez Canal expansion, reclaiming 1.5 million acres in the desert, a nationwide network of roads, a new capital and the construction of cheap housing.