CAIRO: One of the top presidential candidates in Egypt, Amr Moussa, said in an interview that the country's ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) should relinquish power and make the transition toward civilian government, adding that he fears anarchy could come to Egypt's streets if not done quicker. Moussa, a former Egyptian foreign minister and secretary-general of the Arab League, also told Reuters news agency that he fears continued military rule will continue to hurt the country's already mangled economy. Egypt has been wracked by violence in recent weeks, most notably when the military opened fire on Coptic Christian protesters on October 9 in front of the state television and radio building, killing at least 27 and wounding hundreds more. Moussa previously called on the government to enact a new houses of worship law that would make building churches equal to building mosques in the country. Ahead of Egypt's first round of parliamentary elections on November 28, Moussa called on the military rulers to set a date for presidential elections in order to avoid the country falling into further violence and “anarchy.” “My biggest fear is anarchy,” Moussa, 75, said at his campaign headquarters in Cairo, adding that he wanted a presidential election by mid-2012. “A long transitional period is not in the interest of Egyptians nor Egypt,” he said, adding it would slow action to support the economy “and also will create an opportunity for all those who want to play havoc with the Egyptian society.” Egypt is currently struggling to attract tourists to the country as a result of the political turmoil that has hit the country since a massive uprising ousted former President Hosni Mubarak. “So economy and security, lack of them, would lead to anarchy,” said Moussa, who has said he would only serve one term if he wins the presidency. Moussa has gained the support of a larger portion of activists by coming out against the military on a number of occasions, including following the October 9 attack. BM
