Republic Day: Egypt President El-Sisi To Be Chief Guest — Here's How Foreign Dignitaries Are Selected
The chief guest for Republic Day is accorded the highest honour in terms of protocol.
India will celebrate its 74th Republic Day on January 26, 2023. After a couple of years following covid protocols, Republic Day this year will showcase charming tableaus (Jhanki) from different states in front of a large crowd of people at Kartavya Path, earlier, Rajpath, and will also have the chief guest.
It has been an ongoing tradition to invite foreign dignitaries for Republic Day. President of the Arab Republic of Egypt, Abdel Fattah El-Sisi has been invited to attend the grand Republic Day celebration of India. The 68-year-old chief guest, who is also a retired military officer, was re-elected as the president of Egypt in 2018 and has been serving as the president of Egypt since 2014. This is the first time a leader from Egypt will be the chief guest.
Last year in October, a formal invitation was sent to the Egyptian President El-Sisi by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which was handed over by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.
In December 2022, S Jaishankar informed the Parliament that the Egyptian President had accepted the invitation.
President of Egypt Abdel Fattah Al Sisi will be the chief guest on Republic Day 2023: Ministry of External Affairs pic.twitter.com/xmNBudHU12
— ANI (@ANI) November 27, 2022
How A Chief Guest Is Selected For India's Republic Day
The process of choosing a chief guest(s) starts six months in advance. Various parameters like foreign policy, political, economic, strategic and military factors, culture and tradition are kept in the loop while choosing a chief guest.
Firstly, the Ministry of External Affairs draws a list of names for the same and then sends it to the Prime Minister for approval. After the PM’s approval, it is sent for the President's nod. After the President's approval, Indian Ambassadors of the shortlisted countries are communicated with to find out the availability of the dignitary and then the invitation is officially sent to the chief guest.
The chief guest for Republic Day is accorded the highest honour in terms of protocol. The chief guest is given a ceremonial guard of honour at Rashtrapati Bhawan, followed by an evening reception hosted by the President of India. A wreath-laying ceremony also takes place in memory of Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat.
Previous India’s Republic Day Chief Guests Since 2010
2022: Leaders of Five Central Asian Republic Nations (Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan) were invited. However, the visit got cancelled due to the rising Covid19 pandemic’s Omicron cases in India.
2021: Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Boris Johnson was invited. The visit was cancelled due to a spike in Covid19 cases in the UK.
2020: President of Brazil - Jair Bolsonaro.
2019: President of South Africa - Cyril Ramaphosa.
2018: Heads of ASEAN States were invited. Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei, Myanmar’s State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, Prime Minister Najib Razak of Malaysia, Prime Minister Hun Sen of Cambodia, President Rodrigo Duterte of the Philippines, President Joko Widodo of Indonesia, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha of Thailand, Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith of Laos, Prime Minister Lee Hsein Loong of Singapore and Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc of Vietnam.
2017: Crown Prince of United Arab Emirates - Mohammed bin Zayed al Nahyan.
2016: President of France - Francois Hollande.
2015: President of the United States of America - Barack Obama.
2014: Prime Minister of Japan - Shinzo Abe.
2013: King of Bhutan - Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck.
2012: Prime Minister of Thailand - Yingluck Shinawatra.
2011: President of Indonesia - Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.
2010: President of South Korea - Lee Myung Bak.
The other big name includes President Nicolas Sarkozy of France (2008), President Vladimir Putin of Russia (2007), King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz al-Saud of Saudi Arabia (2006), President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva of Brazil (2004), President Nelson Mandela of South Africa (1995), Food and Agriculture Minister Rana Abdul Hamid of Pakistan (1965), Chief of Defence Staff Lord Louis Mountbatten of UK (1964), Queen Elizabeth II of UK (1961), Duke of Edinburgh Prince Philip of UK (1959), Governor General Malik Ghulam Mohammad of Pakistan (1955).
President Sukarno of Indonesia was the first Republic Day chief guest of India in 1950. In 1952, 1953 and 1966 - No Chief Guest was invited.
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