Morsi should take advice from all parties

Former Egyptian state secretary Mustafa El-Fiki has said in an interview with Arabstoday that the recent attack on Egyptian soldiers marked the beginning of a conspiracy against Egypt. He said this was to undermine Egypt’s political weight regarding the situation in the Sinai peninsula. The attack on Sunday killed 16 Egyptian border guard soldiers. The Egyptian military has started carrying out air raids in Sinai in an operation to weed out militants they deem are responsible for the attack. El-Fiki said: “Israel could use this attack to show off their use in securing Sinai.” He mentioned that foreign countries might take this opportunity to threaten Egypt’s stability as well as deal with Egyptian’s internal affairs. El-Fiki urged President Mohammed Morsi to prioritise the country’s security with the help of experts and advisors, an aspect of internal politics that former President Hosni Mubarak completely rejected. He also said that “only receiving advice from the Freedom and Justice Party [the political wing of the Muslim Brotherhood, which Morsi belongs to] could be harmful for the management of state institutions. Ideas and advice need to come from several sides. Absolute power means corruption, which then leads to dictatorship. I doubt this will happen again though after the revolution last year. People broke out from the cages of fear.” The former official explained: “The president could have a deputy in the army, this would create a link between the government and the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF). Despite the fact that the SCAF are no longer in charge of the country, the president should bear in mind that they lead Egypt through very difficult times – despite the mistakes they made.” “The second article of the constitutional supplement released by SCAF is a real problem as it undermines the power of the current president. The Armed Forces officially accepted President Morsi as its Supreme Leader, but the transition stage will be difficult. Both sides must realise that if it hadn’t been for the Armed Forces, the January revolution wouldn’t have succeeded,” he added. When it comes to his relations with the Muslim Brotherhood, El-Fiki said did not share their views, but that he would be ready to work with them if appointed as an advisor. When asked if he would join Ahmed Shafiq’s new political movement [Morsi’s opponent in the last presidential election], El-Fiki stressed that he would not join any political party. “There are three main sections in the government: the official department, the president’s office and the secretariat, the latter being the closest to the president. Whoever is in charge of the administration and finances controls the president.” El-Fiki advised that Morsi’s agenda should include foreign and internal relations, receptions and sometimes speeches. As Morsi is soon to visit South Africa,  El-Fiki advised that he should meet experts in African affairs as well as the foreign ministry.