Inaugurating the restoration:President Hosni Mubarak cutting ribbon marking the restoration of the Shura Council, which was partly destroyed by a fire last year.Chairman of the Shura Council Safwat el-Sherif (R)and Speaker of the People 's Assembly Ahmed Fathi Sorour (L)voiced the legislature 's support of the Egyptian leader yesterday.
PRESIDENT Hosni Mubarak yesterday said he would for- ward to the new parliamentary session,which he opened yesterday,a host of 'signifi- cant draft bills ',including an economic recovery programme worth LE10 billion ($1.8 billion)to help ease repercussions of the global meltdown."A group of significant laws will be forwarded to the legislature during this session,namely the healthcare bill
the social insurance bill and some other bills to help low-income citi-zens,"Mubarak told the opening session of the two chambers of the Egyptian Parliament.He added that a new economic recovery programme totalling LE10 billion would be allocated for 'boosting infrastructure projects such as potable water,drainage,roads and vil- lages of the desert highways '."This programme aims in the first place at encouraging the Egyptian economy,with its recent achievements,"Mubarak said.He urged all Egyptians to work hand in hand 'with the aim of developing Egypt and defending its interests '."We have succeeded in confronting the crisis of global skyrocketing prices through depending on our own resources without contracting debts or obtaining aid,"Mubarak said in his speech,which drew applause from lawmakers of the two councils.He added that the Government were also keen to keep the budget deficit stable.Twice during 2008 and this year,the Government has unveiled recovery programmes totalling LE25 billion.The total expenditures for the fiscal year 2009/2010 are estimated at LE322 billion,a ten per cent decrease compared to the current fiscal year.The total revenues will reach LE213 billion,a 26 per cent drop compared to the current fiscal year.On foreign issues,Mubarak rejected Israel's practice of Judaising Jerusalem,and urged the Jewish state to halt all settlement activities in the West Bank."You are putting obstacles on the road to peace by your call for others to recognise your country as a Jewish state and negotiating over temporary borders for Palestine,"he said, addressing the Israeli leaders.In the speech,Mubarak reviewed the performance of the Parliament since 2005,and proposed that it focus on social and healthcare reform in the new session,the last before general elections next year.The Egyptian leader,unlike those who stress that Iran's Shi'ite moves pose the greatest peril to Arab Sunnis, insisted that the absence of just,com- prehensive peace was more danger- ous."Despite the controversy over Iran's nuclear programme and the situation in Afghanistan and its repercussions on the Pakistani front,the absence of peace is the most perilous threat in our region,"Mubarak said.
