(File photo by AFP / Bulentkilic)
Amr Moussa, the head of the Congress Party and founding member of the National Salvation Front, said late Wednesday night that the current economic situation in Egypt is the largest problem facing the nation. In a press release he said he launched an economic initiative that, “if implemented by the government, would save Egypt from a huge and unexpected economic shock”.
Part of Moussa’sinitiative, according to the press release, involves an international conference called for by the government to discuss long and short term economic aid. The objective of such a conference would be to secure $12bn now and a further $100bn over the next five years.
Moussa called on the government to seriously consider the proposal, stressing that the international community is willing to assist Egypt in this regard.
He also said a government comprised of all national forces must be created, declaring that the current government is ill-prepared and unable to deal with the “largest crisis in Egypt’s modern history”.
“We asked the government to postpone parliamentary elections for a specific period of time,” Moussa said. “Because the president insists on holding elections on time, however, elections should be conducted by a neutral third party, supervised by the judiciary under civilian control.”He also said international presence is important, in addition to the presence of the armed forces.
Referencing the new election law, which the Constitutional Court recently declared had five unconstitutional articles, Moussa said the court’s decision needs to be respected and the Shura Council needs to modify the law according to recommendations made by the court.
Moussa, a former presidential candidate, was also critical of the government’s handling of events in Port Said, saying when the demands of the people are ignored, the situation is then exacerbated. “Port Said has struggled and suffered greatly,” he said, adding that their demands need to be taken into account and a comprehensive plan for each point of contention raised must be formulated and worked on immediately.
He defended Port Said residents’civil disobedience, calling it a legitimate form of protest so long as demands are not met and change does not occur.
Moussa appealed to the government to be transparent with the people, stressing it must disclose the truth about the country’s current crisis to the people.
