Egypt, 1 year after the revolution

by Alessandro Batazzi

Geneva – January 25 marked the one-year anniversary of the Youth Revolution that put an end to the Mubarak regime in Egypt. Egyptians and the world reflect on what has been accomplished and what still needs to be done, each concerned with their own priorities. Yet, with so many things at stake, the feeling after a year is that it is still not clear what direction the country is taking.

The first parliamentary elections resulted in the Democratic Alliance winning 127 seats out of the 332 of the People’s Assembly. The Freedom and Justice Party, an Islamic political party affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood yet independent of it, lead the Coalition to victory to no one’s surprise. The Brotherhood is considered not only the largest Islamic group in Egypt, but is also seen as the strongest socio-political force that opposed Mubarak during his rule. Yet the Salafist al-Nour Party is also in power, leading the Islamist Bloc with 111 seats. This strong presence of Islamists in the People’s Assembly has worried liberals and conservatives in Egypt, concerned that the new legislature will have a strong religious tone that will influence the committee which will be created to write the new constitution.

What this means for the world is unclear. Israeli officials are worried, as not only they lost an ally when Mubarak was deposed, but the position of the new government towards the Jewish state is unclear. The US, on the other hand, while being a powerful ally of the Mubarak regime through development and military funds, have opened talks with the Muslim Brotherhood and trust in their commitment to democratic development. The last obstacle to democratic development is the military, still in power and postponing the transfer of executive authority.

Egypt’s Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) has been in control since they deposed Mubarak despite protests and demands by the people to hand over power. Last Friday protesters in Cairo demanded the military to surrender power to the newly elected legislature, as they see it futile to delay the transfer. The rally in Tahrir Square was also indicative of the general mood in the country, as tensions rose between the Islamists protesters and the liberal forces, represented by the April 6th Youth, Kefaya and the Revolution Youth Coalition. All were major actors during the Revolution but were seen as failing to mobilize properly for the elections, a perceived reason for their poor results.

The challenges ahead are still many. The military needs to relinquish power before the old regime can be said to have been dismantled, presidential elections need to be held, and a new constitution needs to be written. The country still faces problems of security related to crime, economic development and high unemployment. The new political forces still need to accompany growth with justice, and create a democratic regime that fits the needs, duties, and history of Egypt.