Egypt

Amr Moussa: Presidential candidate from military would have advantage

A candidate from Egypt's military would likely win in the upcoming presidential elections, Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa said in a television interview on Sunday.

In an interview on Dream 2, a private satellite channel, Moussa said a presidential candidate from the military would have "greater odds of winning in the election compared to us."

Members of the military have historically been popular in Egypt and have been backed as rulers since 1952. Recent news reports had claimed that a member of the military might run in the coming elections to guarantee they maintain the institution's grip on the country.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Council of Armed Forces (SCAF) repeatedly has said it intends to hand power to an elected president and parliament as soon as possible.

According to documents released by WikiLeaks, the Egyptian military opposed a scheme to transfer power from former President Hosni Mubarak to his son Gamal, especially since the latter did not have a military background.

Moussa, however, said he is a strong competitor for the presidency of Egypt, having worked for the Arab League and Egypt's delegation to the United Nations.

Moussa criticized the SCAF’s management of the interim period, saying there is a need for a constitutional declaration, based on which a civilian president can be elected whose first duty would be to call for the formulation of a new constitution.

Such a constitution would be prepared by the different social and political groups and phrased by legal experts, he said.

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