Islamic thinker and presidential hopeful Mohamed Selim al-Awa has called on the ruling military council to hold elections earlier than scheduled in order to achieve stability in the country.
"Egypt is like a lost ship that can not find a captain in a rough sea,” said Awa Wednesday during a press conference organized by the Nubian Renaissance Association in Alexandria, as he stressed the need to hold parliamentary elections as soon as possible, followed by presidential elections and the drafting of a new constitution.
Awa said the interim cabinet formed after the revolution is temporary and only has a limited time to run the country; therefore, it cannot fix everything.
He praised the military council's efforts to stabilize the country and protect the revolution during the transitional period, and said that it should not be insulted, describing criticism of the junta as nonsense.
Awa also described former President Hosni Mubarak's decision to hand over power to the military on 11 February as "unconstitutional," because, according to the constitution, he should have handed authority to the speaker of the People's Assembly, and should the People's Assembly have been dissolved, to the head of the Supreme Constitutional Court.
Awa said a team of 12 experts is currently working on his presidential platform, which is expected to be finished before mid-August.
He added that he supports the local oversight of elections through civil society institutions and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and that he does not object to international oversight, provided that it be under local supervision.
Abdel Moneim Abouel Fotouh, another presidential hopeful, recently called on Awa to abandon the idea of running for president and stay away from politics, stressing that he is much more appreciated as an Islamic thinker.
Translated from the Arabic Edition
