(AFP Photo)
The current mismanagement of authority is harming progress made in the revolution, said former presidential candidate and head of the Misr Al-Qawia Party Abdel Moneim Aboul Fotouh.
Aboul Fotouh dismissed claims that his party worked closely with the Muslim Brotherhood during an interview on CBC Monday evening, saying “If we represented the Muslim Brotherhood we would have joined the Freedom and Justice Party in the first place”. He went on to stress the importance of the Muslim Brotherhood becoming officially legalised.
He emphasised that the Misr Al-Qawia Party sought to be a national voice for moderation and to represent the sector of Egyptian society that does not support hardliners on either side of the political debate.
The former senior Muslim Brotherhood member noted that corruption was still deeply embedded in the government and that it would take time to uproot it.
President Mohamed Morsi’s biggest misstep, according to Aboul Fotouh, was not capitalising on the popular support he had at the time of his election. Instead, political divisions became more severe during the first few months of Morsi’s presidency, making it increasingly difficult to achieve national reconciliation. Aboul Fotouh also said that regardless of the margin by which Morsi won the presidential elections, it was important to run the country in a more inclusive manner, especially during the current transitional period.
He called on national forces to engage in effective national dialogue, arguing that previous attempts at reaching a national consensus since the 22 November presidential decree had been largely futile, unsuccessful, and a “waste of time”.
When discussing the current security situation in the country, Aboul Fotouh also said that the army’s sole role should be to keep the country safe from external threats and that the armed forces should not become an alternative to the police.
While the National Salvation Front (NSF) declared it would boycott upcoming parliamentary elections, Misr Al-Qawia announced that it intended to compete for seats in the House of Representatives and the Shura Council.
