DUBAI: The United Arab Emirates prime minister said yesterday Egypt’s army chief should not run as a military man for president, but if he stood as a civilian that would be a personal matter, the Gulf state’s official news agency reported.
A story outlining the views of premier Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum appeared on the Wam agency several hours after he gave an interview to the BBC, in which he was quoted as saying Sisi was better off staying in the military than running for president.
The UAE, along with Saudi Arabia, championed army chief General Abdel Fattah Al Sisi after he deposed Islamist president Mohamed Mursi last year.
They have since given Egypt billions of dollars in economic aid.
Sisi, who removed Mursi in July after mass protests, gave his clearest indication yet on Saturday that he will run for the presidency.
The Wam story quoted an official source in Sheikh Mohammed’s office as saying: “His Royal Highness’s brotherly advice is that General Al Sisi should not run as a military man for the post of the presidency. However, his nomination as a civilian, in response to the demands of the people, that is a personal affair that only concerns General Sisi.
“The source ... affirmed that the UAE respected the will of the Egyptian people and supports their political choices.”
In his earlier comments reported by the BBC, Sheikh Mohammed, who is also the ruler of Dubai, also said Egypt was better off without Mursi.
In Cairo, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry declined to comment.
Sheikh Mohammed also said Egypt, which is due to vote on a constitutional referendum this week, was better off without Islamist President Mohamed Mursi who was deposed by the army in July after mass protests against his rule.
The UAE is deeply mistrustful of the Muslim Brotherhood and relations soured when Mursi became Egypt’s first freely elected president after the downfall of autocrat Hosni Mubarak in 2011.
The UAE, along with Sunni powerhouse Saudi Arabia, have championed army chief General Abdel Fattah el-Sisi who deposed Mursi, and have poured billions of dollars to shore up the country’s beleaguered economy since Mursi’s downfall.Reuters
