Former Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa (Photo: Reuters)
Against the backdrop of increased tension between some of the January 25 Revolution forces on the one hand, and the ruling Supreme Council for Armed Forces (SCAF) and the Essam Sharaf-led government on the other, presidential hopeful Amr Moussa called for an end to the state of lost confidence between the parties.
In a press statement issued from his Cairo campaign headquarters Moussa proposed a roadmap to restore confidence and avoid both injustice and confusion.
Issued against the backdrop of a call for a million-person demonstration in Tahrir Square, Moussa's statement acknowledged the hardship that the nation faces today due to "the huge gap between the expectations and hopes of the people who made the January 25 Revolution and what has actually been realised on the ground".
Moussa argued that "the increasingly typical delay in responding to popular demands and the indecisiveness on these demands could lead to unbearable consequences" and the prevalence of the state of confusion in a way that could compromise basic national interests.
The protraction of this state of clear confusion, Moussa warned in his statement, could lead to disturbing consequences and the possible failure to establish the democratic state, which was the ultimate objective of the January 25 Revolution.
As such Moussa proposed an immediate action towards the prompt trial of all those responsible for killing innocent demonstrations during the days of the revolution as well as those who deliberately mismanaged state affairs and sought personal gains at the expense of national interests.
Moussa added that all police officers suspected of committing violations should be prevented from continuing their work in the absence of a firm dismissal of charges leveled against them. The elimination of the suspected elements, he argued, would help establish the due confidence between the public and the police forces at these crucial times.
The former Arab League secretary-general also called for the composition of a "revolution-supported government" rather than a mere steering government to make sure that the hopes and aspirations of the January 25 Revolution would be fulfilled and that the major challenges facing the nation would be properly addressed.
The presidential hopeful further proposed the announcement of clear criteria for the election of governors in view of the anticipated governors reshuffle – while still favouring the election rather than the appointment of governors.
Moussa also called on judges to streamline all matters related to the judiciary power away from any intervention that might undermine the status and the role of the judiciary.
Ultimately, Moussa suggested that the objective should be to avoid the expansion of the transitional period. A prolonged transitional phase, Moussa said, would only augment the state of confusion and delay the launch of a democratic process.
Moussa, meanwhile, called on all political forces to steer clear to continue to embrace unity as they did during the days of the January 25 Revolution.
"We should all give prominence to the national interest and stick to unity to divert from any possible regression," read the statement of which Ahram Online received a copy via email. It added that "both SCAF and the government [of Sharaf] are required to act promptly and with transparency to accommodate the legitimate demands of the people without delay."
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