Egypt is currently experiencing a conflict between past and future, with 30 June an extension for 25 January Revolution, said strategic adviser to the interim president Mostafa Higazy, in an interview with El Hayah El Youm (Life Today) talk show on Sunday. Higazy said that the number of "terrorists" located in the Sinai Peninsula increased during former president Mohamed Morsi's reign from 1,000 to 12,000. According to the adviser, the presidency is not "a variable in any political equation" adding that the institution needs restructuring, "like every other state institution." Higazy added that "a state cannot build a strong economy without a strong political and societal basis" adding that the "national consensus of executing the post-30 June roadmap as soon as possible" will create a suitable political base for economic development. The president's strategic adviser said that the attempts by the Muslim Brotherhood to stop the Constituent Assembly and the process of writing a new constitution "will not be successful", adding that "the Egyptian people are the ones who will stand against those attempts." He added that the Constituent Assembly's members were chosen from across the entire spectrum of society. Higazy also said that the Brotherhood used the terms of "military junta" and "the return of Mubarak's regime" as "scare tactics for Egyptian people." Regarding the Islamist Al-Nour Party's political participation, Higazy said that if it "wants to engage politically, they will have to present a programme to solve citizens' daily problems". He added that the party should nominate people for positions based on their qualifications, not for the sake of political rivalry. Higazy described the attempt to assassinate Minister of Interior Mohamed Ibrahim as "an attempt to put hurdles in front of the roadmap." He insisted that the wave of terrorism "will not continue, as the whole Egyptian society is lining against it." He added that the state should regain its prestige so that the citizens would feel secure "under the rule of law that respects human rights." Higazy was chosen as the strategic adviser to the interim president Adly Mansour after the ousting of former president Mohamed Morsi on 3 June 2013.
