Friday, February 11, 2011

Suleiman: “Go Back Home. Go to Your Work.”


Matthew Shaffer

Vice President Omar Suleiman followed President Mubarak on State TV with another speech. Here’s my transcription:

After being delegated by the president to safeguard the interests of Egypt, to restore peace and security to the Egyptian public, to restore the way of life, I request one and all to contribute to this goal. And I have no doubt the Egyptian people are capable of safeguarding their interests. We have opened the door to dialog, and a roadmap has been drawn to meet the majority of the demands. Within this context I reiterate: I am committed to carrying out whatever is necessary to ensure that peaceful transition of power, in accordance with the stipulations of the constitution, in relation to the national dialog, and the agreements to be reached at a later stage, all in order to safeguard the revolution of the youth, to work toward restoring confidence among us, and to respect the constitution and the law, and to realize the demands of the people through conscientious dialog. Through this perspective I call on all the citizens to look forward to the future, and by our hands we can make this future bright, rife with freedom and democracy. You are a people of heroes. We cannot be drive to the perils of chaos and we cannot allow those perpetrating and plotting intimidation. Let’s join hands and let’s march forward in a path that will guarantee the demands and aspirations o the youth, toward a peaceful life where love of the homeland is a top priority.

I call on the youth of Egypt — go back home. Go back to your work. The country needs your hands. Let’s join hands, to build, and develop creatively. Do not listen to the satellite TV stations, whose main purpose is to fuel sedition and tarnish the image of the people. Only listen to your own conscience, your common sense, and your awareness of the perils hovering around us. We have started work, relying on God and our state institutions, namely the armed forces that safeguarded the constitution, and guarded the property and security of the people. The clock is ticking for work. Let’s march forward by the grace of God… We will work in the spirit of a team and the resolve of the Egypt that cannot be dented.

I have taken the oath before God and you to work with all the power I have. God says in the holy scriptures, “You work and God will see your deeds, and may peace be upon you all.”

The protests tomorrow are going to be enormous, raucous, and possibly violent.

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