US Looks Forward to Working with Egypt's Abdel Fattah al-Sisi: White House

Washington: The United States said Wednesday it looks forward to workingwith the government of Egyptian president-elect Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, whileurging him to carry out human rights reforms.

President Barack Obama will speak with the former army chiefin the coming days, the White House said in a statement.

Washington looked forward to working with Sisi "toadvance our strategic partnership and the many interests shared by the UnitedStates and Egypt," it said.

Sisi took a sweeping 96.9 percent of the vote in an electionheld nearly a year after he toppled president Mohamed Morsi, whose Islamistallies boycotted the polls.

The United States firmly refrained from calling the changeof government a coup. That assessment would have forced it under US law to stopproviding Egypt with billions in annual aid.

In the statement, the White House said observers found theelections were held in accordance with Egyptian law.

But it also expressed concern about what it called the"restrictive political environment" in which the vote took place andurged Sisi's new government to step up rights reforms.

"We have consistently expressed our concerns aboutlimits on freedom of peaceful assembly, association, and expression and callupon the government to ensure these freedoms as well as due process rights forall Egyptians," it said.

The statement added: "We urge the President-elect andthe government to adopt the reforms that are needed to govern withaccountability and transparency, ensure justice for every individual, and demonstratea commitment to the protection of the universal rights of all Egyptians."

As Egypt looks ahead to parliamentary elections later thisyear, Washington urged the country to consider ways to improve how futureelections are held.

"True democracy is built on a foundation of rule oflaw, civil liberties, and open political discourse," the statement said.