CAIRO — Following her victory in the recent Egyptian parliamentary elections, Sarah Saleh, 26, became the youngest parliament member in the history of the South Sinai governorate. In an interview with Al-Monitor, she noted that while her age was the biggest obstacle she faced, she managed to transform it into one of the driving forces of her victory. Saleh said she has now become a representative for the youth of her governorate, and she will bring up their issues and demands before the parliament. She believes unemployment is the main problem facing the youth of South Sinai and fears unemployment and neglect are turning some young residents into terrorists.

The full text of the interview follows:

Al-Monitor:  You decided to run in the parliamentary elections despite being only 26 years old — what are the main obstacles you faced in the electoral battle?

Saleh:  My young age was the biggest obstacle in the elections, in addition to my lack of experience in politics, although I am a member of the National Council for Arab Tribes. It is through this council that I was selected to be on the “For the Love of Egypt” list as the youngest parliamentarian from Sinai. However, I managed to turn this obstacle into positives that led to my victory. I took advantage of my age to approach the youth of Sinai. It was very easy for me to communicate with them since we share the same ideas. I started touring the governorate with the support of some people from my generation who showed enthusiasm for the idea of ​​having a young representative in the parliament. Indeed, my intensive electoral tours and the faith of young people in me led me to score the highest score on the For the Love of Egypt list in South Sinai governorate.