Sawiris Says ‘Decisive’ Day in Egypt, Drastic Change Required
Massoud A. DerhallyEgyptian billionaire Naguib Sawiris, the chairman of Orascom Telecom Holding SAE, said today will be a “decisive” day in Egypt and that stability will only be restored after there is “drastic change.”
“Today is a showdown,” Sawiris said in a telephone interview from Egypt. “There are a million people going to the square; rich people, poor people, intellectuals, workers, farmers all kinds of people.”
Opposition groups have called for a million people to take to the streets today in a drive to force President Hosni Mubarak from office. Mubarak sought to quell unrest by appointing new Cabinet members yesterday.
“This is not going to end and there will be no stability unless there is going to be drastic change,” Sawiris said. “People are not going to go back from what they want.”
He said the previous government “was a scapegoat,” and “sacrificed.”