Egypt held its first ever debate between presidential candidates on Thursday, as the two frontrunners for this month’s election traded political accusations on television. Amr Mussa, a former foreign minister and Arab League chief, faced the moderate Islamist Abdel Moneim Abul Fotouh in the debate which was aired on two private Egyptian television channels, ONTV and Dream. Overall, neither candidate landed a decisive blow against the other during the debate which covered the traditional topics of health, employment and education. But in a reflection of the country’s new political dynamic since a popular uprising toppled veteran president Hosni Mubarak last year, it was Islamism, identity and affiliation to the former regime that dominated the debate. The pair swapped some sharp exchanges with Mussa slamming his rival’s long time affiliation to the powerful Muslim Brotherhood, and Abul Fotouh accusing Mussa of belonging to an oppressive and corrupt regime under ousted president Hosni Mubarak. “You worked for the benefit of one group, the Muslim Brotherhood, not for Egypt as a nation,”Mussa told Abul Fotouh, who quit the once-banned group a year ago. Abul Fotouh for his part repeatedly highlighted Mussa’s connection to the Mubarak regime. “When you are part of a problem, you cannot provide the solution,” Abul Fotouh said.
