Mubarak warns against provoking "ethnic imbalance" in Iraq

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak warned the United States against provoking "religious or ethnic" imbalance in Iraq or imposing democracy by force on the region and called on Israelis and Palestinians to implement an international roadmap for peace.

"We call for the restoration of government institutions in Iraq as fast as possible ... without outside interference which would try to provoke religious or ethnic imbalance to serve foreign interests," Mubarak said in a televised address Wednesday.

Shiite Muslims make up nearly 60 percent of Iraq's population of about 24 million but were largely repressed under the the Sunni-dominated regime of Saddam Hussein. Many Arab countries fear agitation by Iraqi Shiites for more power would lead to instability throughout the region.

In a speech ahead of the May 1 celebration, Mubarak said the Iraqi people had the "right to chose their own political and social system."

He said that in recent talks with Arab leaders they all agreed that "Iraq should be ruled only by the Iraqi people and that the United Nations and the Arab countries must play a vital role in returning the situation to normal in Iraq."

Mubarak said he was against this "false idea that some have, which holds that installing democracy in Iraq according to outside criteria would lead to the spread of democracy and reform in the Arab and Muslim world.

"We are for democracy but against imposing democracy by force."

Addressing the longstanding Middle East conflict, Mubarak urged both Palestinians and Israelis to apply as soon as possible the principles of the roadmap peace plan sponsored by the European Union, Russia, the United Nations and the United States.

"As I urge the Palestinian authorities to implement all its obligations under the roadmap, I advise Israel to realize that peace with Arabs is the only way to security and stability," he said.

Mubarak said Israel's policy of repression would only breed hatred against it.

The quartet was due to deliver the roadmap to the new Palestinian prime minister Mahmud Abbas later Wednesday after the swearing in of his cabinet by veteran leader Yasser Arafat.