Thousands of people flocked to central Tahrir Square after Friday's prayer last week to protest against what they called as dominance of Muslim Brotherhood in the Constitution-drafting of Constitutional assembly. They surrounded the gates of upper house of the parliament, asking for dissolving the assembly. Talking to journalists, some protestors were voicing their concerns over a possible constitution which neglects the rights of women and does not represent all layers of the society.
The first prominent anti-Muslim Brotherhood demonstration took place on April 6, when revolutionary Youth Coalition, Free Egyptian Party, al-Dastour and many organizations and parties protested against what they believed as endeavors by the regime to dominate decision-making in the country. Since then several demonstrations were sending shock down to spine of the government of possible progress of instability since the step down of former President Hosni Mubarak. Meanwhile, supporters of the ruling Islamist party also embarked to demonstration when Supreme Court, an independent legal body, acquitted the former senior officials.
Since then, supporters of the party have several demonstrations, asking for retrial of former key elements of the regime. President Mohammad Morsi discharged the Attorney General, Abdul Moquid Mohammad, aimed to defuse pressure on his administration.
But Moquid did not step down, arguing that the position of prosecutor general was independent body according to the constitution that even president cannot dismiss the position holder. He continued that
Attorney General should present his resignation or reaches to retiring age.
Sometimes, the demonstrations of Pro and Anti-Islamist regime led to violent clashes. Earlier this month, when pro-Muslim Brotherhood was demonstrating over the acquisition of senior officials of the former regime and anti-Brotherhood protesting for a constitution that rpresents all Egyptians clashed with each other, the incident which left 150 people injured.
These series of demonstrations show that Egyptians have become sensitive about possible perversion and fall prey to another trap. People are worried that after suffering under the rule of President Mubarak and making sacrifice to end the regime, they do not fall once again to hand of another dictator. Thus, they are agitated and it is in need of a long time that government ensures that it is not involved in activities to deprive people or parts of people from their rights.
No matter how the president Morsi and his colleagues have tried to convince people that they are not going to monopolize the power instead will develop a plural system which represents all Egyptians equally. It is too early to judge that how finally he realizes the promises and fulfill the expectation of people who voted for the party.
One thing is certain that the Islamist party is largely in debt to lack of rival political parties as result of political monopoly of former regime. Indeed, in the country, two main political parties have been active for decade: Muslim Brotherhood founded by Hasan Al-Bana and refurbished by political interpretation of Hasan Abdullah, and National Democratic Party (NDP) which was based on secular principles but headed by dictators. Indeed, the history of Egypt during past eighty years is largely entangled to struggle and clashes of these two parties.
The NDP could easily cut the irritating hair of its nose, through persecution of key Muslim Brotherhood and torturing their followers that also by hinting support of Western countries that largely feared a growing Islamic movement worldwide. However, Muslim Brotherhood could easily proliferate to the rest of countries and developed well in some countries but in its homeland remained under tight scrutiny. Its activities were absolutely illegal and the members of the party were not in a position to challenge the government. Any suspicious move used not to be tolerated.
In such a situation, the leaders of the party took activities under the ground which also did not remain unnoticed by the regime. Thus, key figures of the party have mostly past their lives behind prison's metallic bars. When new generation who merely marched to streets to achieve democracy, accountable government and prosperity similar to rest of youths across the globe toppled the regime, there was no well-organized political party to exploit the situation and recline on the chair of power. NDP was not put out of the mainstream due to its dark background while liberals and democrats did not have visible presence.
I can vividly remember when Mr. Morsi and Ahmed Shafiq went for the run-off, some Egyptians said that non could represent Tahrir demonstrators. Therefore, lack of organized and well-known political parties in the country helped Muslim Brotherhood to traverse a distance that it could not for decades. The second thing was the public sympathy with the party.
During years and decades when regime could easily erase the party's leaders, people were unable to do something though they were thankful of humanitarian activities of Muslim Brotherhood. So, after decades when the common people find chance, they passed chance to the Party through voting in order to see what it is going to do.
It is estimated that if he fulfills the expectation of its supporters, then it will face potential challenge from other parties that will get introduced to people a relative open environment. With this we should also what I want to call as "prestige depreciation" of being in power. All fingers are pointed towards power holder and oppositions find better chance to improve their position.