Yehya Kishk, a doctor and a Muslim Brotherhood member, has been chosen as the new governor of Asyout, in addition to three other governors who belong to the president’s group. According to observers, their affiliation to the Muslim Brotherhood was a decisive factor in their appointment. Kishk, however, insists his appointment was a result of his qualifications rather than his affiliations.

Yehya Kishk, a doctor and a Muslim Brotherhood member, has been chosen as the new governor of Asyout, in addition to three other governors who belong to the president’s group. According to observers, their affiliation to the Muslim Brotherhood was a decisive factor in their appointment. Kishk, however, insists his appointment was a result of his qualifications rather than his affiliations.

Four out of the ten newly appointed governors belong to the Muslim Brotherhood. Many interpreted this move as a new indicator of the group’s creeping domination of the governmental positions especially that the general tendency within the Constituent Assembly (which is dominated by representatives of the political Islam current) is not to touch the semi-absolute power of governors and to allow local legislative councils to withdraw confidence from them only minimally.

Governor Kishk, is your new appointment a step towards the Muslim Brotherhood dominance over government positions, given that you are the deputy director of the Muslim Brotherhood administrative office in the governorate?

This is not true. A governor is chosen based on his qualifications not his affiliations and he becomes responsible for all of the governorate’s citizens and different political currents. All currents have been represented through the selected governors, including the liberals, the leftists, the Muslim Brotherhood and many others. Furthermore, no faction or party has been excluded. And I call upon all factions, currents and the youth movements to unite to develop the Asyout Governorate.  

Why then, in your opinion, did the secretary of the Justice and Freedom Party attend the first executive meeting you convened? Is it not a return to the dissolved National Democratic Party days?       

I assure you that it wasn’t a prearranged visit but he happened to be in the governorate. He came to congratulate me on the new position. It is as simple as that. I totally reject how things were going under NDP and I wouldn’t do the same.

Why, do you think, have you been chosen? And what are the qualifications that tipped the balance in your favor?

I don’t know exactly, but at the end of the day, it is a responsibility and not an honor. I know quite well that general criteria and rules are considered when choosing governors for the next phase, which prioritizes fighting corruption in all sectors.

As for the qualifications I believe they tipped the balance in my favor. I won’t talk about certain qualities like honesty and trustworthiness. I managed during my work in the university to gain many administrative skills through establishing the cardiology department in Asyout University and the biologic units in the same department and then I became the head of the department for five years.

I also took part in many local and international conferences and I visited many countries including USA, Brazil, China, South Africa, Malaysia and South Korea, where I visited medicine and drug factories and that has definitely helped me gain many experiences, not to mention my development within the Muslim Brotherhood where I learned to be exact and organized until I was appointed as the deputy director of the Muslim Brotherhood administrative office in the governorate. Needless to say, all of these skills are necessary for the administrative work.   

Is it true that a Muslim Brotherhood member has been appointed as the mayor of Abutig? What are the mechanisms for choosing mayors and leaderships of localities in the next stage?

No, it is completely unfounded. As for the changes in leaderships, there are none for the time being as we are assessing their performance and he who proves to have the capacity for the next stage will stay; otherwise, he will be replaced. The selection criteria will be capability, trustworthiness, honesty and the will to give. And this, of course, has nothing to do with their partisan affiliations; the key thing is achievement and realizing the governorate’s progress and prosperity.  

What are the areas on top of your priority list in Asyout?

Tourism is one of the most important resources that can provide a huge income for the governorate with its many Coptic, Pharaoh and Islamic shrines. I will start by removing all obstacles to the investment in this sector, and I’ve already held many meetings to raise funds to pave the roads to the tourist shrines. In this context, I was keen to meet a group of Spanish, Japanese and English tourists who visited the governorate two days ago. I gave them some souvenirs and hosted them in the governorate headquarters to make them feel at home, a move that left a good impression on them.  

What is your top priority in the early days of your work?

Implementing the President’s 100-day plan as soon as possible, for it touches all the areas of life through five points; which, of course, constitute a lifetime project. Second, economic development through focusing on industrial zones and small enterprises, putting Assiut on the tourist map, implementing the Western Hill and the New Asyout projects, focusing on education and health through hiring experts to improve education and build necessary infrastructures, using disciplined ways to make teachers become role models for students, improving school activities, activating student camps and developing the health system in light of the available capacities.