KUWAIT CITY, Feb 13: Former Secretary General of the Arab League and Egyptian presidential candidate Amr Moussa held a press interview, in the aftermath of the First International Conference of the Council for Arab and International Relations.

Outlining the dangers faced in the aftermath of the Egyptian revolution, and the future of Egypt’s relations with the Gulf and Kuwait, Moussa spoke of the future of the Egyptian opposition and the Muslim Brotherhood, in light of his leading position on the National Salvation Front.

On President Morsi’s recent statements that he neither accepts nor rejects the calls from the National Salvation Front to form a new government, Moussa stated, “It is not a question of acceptance or refusal; he is the president, and as such it is a question of whether or not he will take this step.”

“It is not a question of negotiations or deals, but rather it is important for there to be a National Unity Government,” continued Moussa, stating that it is clear that the situation is getting worse every day. He added that it is also not a question of conspiracy or incitement by the opposition, but rather a question of the people’s anger, due to the lack of change or progress.

Further, on US Ambassador to Egypt Anne Patterson’s recent reports expressing deep concern over the current state of Egypt’s economy, Moussa stated that it is of no importance to read the reports, as it is already very clear that the economy is in a very critical state.

In terms of resolving this, he stated, “There was an initiative [a few days ago] regarding this, including a five-step plan to salvage the Egyptian economy, and that this was presented to the government.”
Questioned on what the National Salvation Front is betting on to move forward with their plan, Moussa stated, “[it is] betting on the position of the people in democratic freedom of expression and freedom of demonstration to send a clear message to the government. Yet unfortunately, until now, and despite their clarity and the deep anger, the message appears not to have been received as yet.”

“It is impossible for a situation like the one Egypt is currently in to continue. It will either get worse or be resolved, and this relies on the way the government responds,” he said of the current state of affairs in Egypt.

He further noted that in the absence of response to diplomatic requests from the government, the street speaks very clearly and violently, but that there are those in power who choose to see current events in conspiratorial terms. He stressed that nonetheless the oppositional movement is a genuine one, and that by the time the government recognizes this, it will be too late.

“This is a part of the mismanagement of power; it is necessary to read situations correctly, and not the viewpoint that best suits [them],” he added.

Further, on recent statements he made on the fulfillment of the presidential term, Moussa clarified that the president legitimately was elected for a four year period. However, he stated that there had been discussion prior to the constitution as to whether its passing would require new elections, and while there were disagreements on this, Moussa has then stated that this is not necessarily the case.
“However, I will speak of legitimacy; legitimacy comes from elections, but it does not give license to do whatever one pleases. Electing someone means placing the country as a token in their hands. Therefore it is not just a question of legitimacy, but also credibility,” he stated, pointing to the steep decline that Egypt is experiencing.

He further stated that it is necessary for the government to move towards establishing national unity, and to address the various crises that Egypt currently faces, on top of which is the economic crisis. Regarding the possibility of civil war, he stated that he hoped Egypt would remain safe, but did not expect there to be a civil war, rather a continuation of the legitimate struggle for revolution.
With regards to calls for elections in the near future, Moussa stated that, “I do not think this is a suitable time for elections. I think we should postpone elections. It’s not enough to simply hold elections.”
“There must be full judiciary supervision, international and civil society monitoring and finally the protection of the election process, which should be undertaken by the army,” he added, pointing to circumstances where certain people were prevented from voting.
Questioned on whether the oppositional forces (i.e. the National Salvation Front) held some of the responsibility for the current state of things in Egypt, Moussa stated that all Egyptians are responsible. He noted that the burden from the previous regime was very heavy.
“[The opposition] was tardy in unifying ranks, and there may be tardiness in certain steps, but it is better late than never. We have genuinely begun, and it is of the utmost importance that we maintain a unified position,” he added.

“The National Salvation Front is here to stay, and it is critical that they do, because it has become politically ingrained in the Egyptian opposition that there is an oppositional front with a certain credibility. Opposition is part of democracy, and if you speak of the legitimacy of power, you must also speak of the legitimacy of the opposition.”

On why the opposition had waited 30 years to revolt against the previous regime but would not allow the current one to remain, he stated, “The critical difference is that the previous regime ended with a revolution against it. Should it become a trend that the people wait 30 years to revolt every time? When the people revolted their hopes were immediate and urgent.”

He added that the opposition could have been patient, and recognized that certain changed would take time to exact, had there been any signs that the government intended to exercise any plan of change.
He further stated that the main condition for the National Salvation Front to enter negotiations with President Morsy is the formation of a new national unity government.

Regarding the NSF’s position towards the marginalization of Egyptian expatriates, he stated that they must take the initiative themselves to come forth with plans to partake politically. He added that the issue has various dimensions, from employment, support, education, etc., and as such should be discussed accordingly.

He further stated that the Gulf States cannot have relations with an oppositional movement and as states can only have relations with other states. However, he maintained that the current relations between the Egyptian government and the Gulf are much weaker than they were under Mubarak, stating that “there is most definitely a turbulence in the current relations.”
“Egypt, as a country, can either be a strong state, or a non-state, and this is the problem that we currently face, that it is the first time that Egypt confronts this possibility,” he added.
Further, questioned on why the NSF had failed to intercept the popular waves or demands before they took place, he stated that in presenting an economic plan, which was an unprecedented move, the NSF had in fact done so.
He concluded on stressing the importance of guarantees from the government, and calling for there to be the preconditions of negotiation before partaking in it.