Moussa: Sisi will assume presidency in 'democratic way'

In an interview with Al-Monitor just two days after the ratification of the new Egyptian constitution, Amr Moussa, an Egyptian politician who has assumed many key positions and has great influence in Egypt's foreign policy, said he would not run for president again because he is supporting Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.

According to Moussa, Sisi is capable of achieving harmony between the presidency and the army. He also noted that the constitution will constitute a new chance to move forward from the transitional period and establish the third republic on the basis of democracy and a civil state. Moussa shed light on the weakness characterizing the role of Egypt within its regional surroundings, expecting the Geneva II talks, in which Egypt is taking part, not to reach a settlement for the Syrian crisis.

Moussa served as Egypt's foreign minister and then as head of the Arab League. He re-emerged on the Egyptian political scene after the January 2011 revolution, presenting his candidacy for president. However, Moussa did not make it to the seat of power after he received only 10.9% of the votes. A number of decisions made by the administration of former President Mohammed Morsi and his government, and described by Moussa as unwise, have led him to return to the political scene to contribute to the formation of the National Salvation Front (NSF). The NSF was a strong backer of the deposition of Morsi and the ouster of the Muslim Brotherhood. After that, Moussa headed the 50-member committee tasked with drafting the new Egyptian constitution. On Jan. 18, 98.1% of voters approved of the constitution in a referendum.

Al-Monitor:  Given that you were in charge of the committee that drafted the new constitution, how do you perceive the Egyptian political scene, after you succeeded in passing the constitution as part of the first step toward the road map announced on July 3, 2013?