The Egypt is kneeling down under weight of its economic and political turmoil. No matter if the police moved out and army moved in, yet people pay no attention to declaration of President Morsi announcing state-emergency for Port Said and two neighboring cities.
At least 60 people have been killed and hundreds injured since last Thursday in clashes between police and protesters angry over what they call Islamists’ moves to monopolize power and failure to address the country’s multiple woes. In his comments, Gen. Abdel Fattah el-Sissi who have warned of collapse of the country signaled the military would not move to put down protesters, saying troops are in a ‘grave predicament,’ forced to balance between ‘avoiding confrontation’ with citizens and protecting state institutions.
In Cairo on Tuesday, rock-throwing protesters clashed with police firing tear gas for another day in battles that escalated after nightfall near Tahrir Square. The mayhem forced the nearby US Embassy to suspend public services Tuesday, and the night before masked men tried to rob the neighboring five-star Semiramis Hotel, a Cairo landmark, trashing the lobby before being forced out. It has been months that part of Egyptians feel that President Mursi is not going to realize promises made during the first free presidential election after the collapse of former President Hosni Mubarak’s regime, but after his promulgated decree on November 22 of assuming sweeping power people flooded to Tahrir Square, somehow, similar to what series demonstration which ended to regime of President Mobarak.
They were calling on President to step down and rescind his decree. In order to appease oppositions, he tried all political initiatives to bring oppositions on negotiating table and mollify them through promises, but bluntly failed. Seemingly, opposition political parties have learned from their major losses in the past. They could not make any visible civil or political moves in the country. Muslim Brotherhood could easily overtook Presidential election and send their nominee, President Muris, to palace without major threat from oppositions parties.
The only political party that appeared as challenge was National Democratic Party Nominee, Mr. Ahmad Shafi, the ex-Prime Minister during regime of President Hosni Mobarak. So, when people come to vote for the nominee of political party which was just toppled down by the very people, than the popularity of left, secular and liberal parties can be determined.
None of their nominees could win a visible vote and went for the second round. Similar story was repeated in the parliamentary election. Muslim Brotherhood could easily send most of their nominees in the house while their rivals from other political parties remained behind door. Analysts maintain that the main reason behind such grandiose success of Muslim Brotherhood (MB) and failures of liberal and secular parties largely referred to differences among opposition to forge coalition and lack of well-organized establishment. While Islam-oriented parties surrounded MB, but left and secular parties had huge unsolved differences.
Most of them were unknown to people and did have a clear concept about their policies, strategies and over mission and vision. Secondly, these also suffer from lack of clear-cut structure. And some which had, people did not know about them. On the other hand, MB did not have such problems. It is one of the oldest political parties and closely worked with Egyptians for decades.
Thus, it can be claimed that the MB 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 decades: MB and National Democratic Party (NDP) which was based on secular principles but headed by dictators. The history of Egypt during past eighty years is largely entangled to struggle and clashes between these two parties.
The NDP could easily cut the irritating hair of its nose, through persecution of key members of 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.
When new generation who merely marched to streets to achieve democracy, people-oriented establishment, and through that they would reach to economic 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. Seemingly, with the course of time, some opposition parties have found the chance to strengthen their position and get introduced to civilians through adopting an anti-government status. In another word, incumbency of MB has provided them the chance to build identity in opposition to government.
They try that the mistakes of government change into a tribune for their identification. They also have learned to act in unity and to develop enough power to challenge Brotherhood-dominated establishment. The Sunday’s retreat of President Mursi over assuming sweeping power can be called as great success for left and liberal parties after successive failures. Meanwhile it should be noticed that protestors had problem with two things: one, decree of President Mursi and second, possible referendum on draft of constitution prepared by parliament where Muslim Brotherhood has the majority on Dec 15, within less than a week.
Though, Mr. President rescinded his decree but the referendum has not been rescheduled. It is not clear whether oppositions retreat or once again President Mursi might compromise in order to stop increasing violence between pro and anti-government elements. Supporters of Mr. President Mursi have frequently clashed with his oppositions which until now have left six dead and more than six hundred wounded. Seemingly, if both sides do not sit around a table and solve the issue peacefully, the current gap among people will increase and prove consequential for Egyptians.