Aboul Fotouh: Egypt army gave MB a ‘kiss of life’

The military-backed ouster of former Egyptian President Mohammad Mursi gave a “kiss of life” for a beleaguered Muslim Brotherhood movement, said on Thursday Abdel Moneim Aboul Fotouh, former Egyptian presidential candidate and co-founder of the Strong Egypt Party.

“The ouster of Mursi on July 3 gave a kiss of life for the Muslim Brotherhood organization. Saying that it was a blow [to the Brotherhood] is media talk, because political forces were going to defeat them through the ballot boxes,” Aboul Fotouh, a former Brotherhood member himself, said in an interview with Al Arabiya channel.

He described the June 30 uprising as a “revolutionary wave” that turned into a “coup” on July 3, saying that Mursi’s refusal to accept early presidential elections does not justify his overthrow through military power.

Aboul Fotouh, a moderate Islamist, said he was among the first people to criticize Mursi’s “failed” policies and called for early elections, but that he won't keep silent against violations taking place in the country.

“The country is in trouble, and we need to stabilize the political system through freedom and democracy, but the regime of [interim president] Adly Mansour is making terrorism and the person who rules Egypt is General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi not Mansour,” Aboul Fotouh said.

He described Egypt as living under a “fascist military rule” that creates terrorism with indiscriminate detentions. He said dragging Egypt’s armed forces into internal politics is “worse than Mursi remaining in power.”

After four months of incommunicado detention Mursi went on trial early this month on charges of killing two protesters during a demonstration in front of the presidential palace in December 2012.

Aboul Fotouh said those responsible for the killings were Defense Minister Sisi, the interior minister and some leaders of the then opposition National Salvation Front. “Mursi has the political responsibility,” he said.

Regarding presidential elections planned for next year, Aboul Fotouh said: “If General Sisi runs, no one else will run and there won’t even be an election.”