16-30 June 2012                  26 Rajab-9 Shaban 1433 Hijri

Note: Using editorials as an indicator, this series presents views, understanding and attitude of the Urdu periodicals in India towards various developments concerning the Middle East. The selection of an item does not mean the endorsement or concurrence with their accuracy or views. Editor, MEI@ND
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Dawat Online (Invitation), New Delhi
Editorial, 16 June 2012, Saturday
1. The Muslim World
According to the Chief of the UN Peace Mission stationed in Syria, the country faces civil war. This is the first such statement from any high UN official. It was reported that the UN Peace Mission was attacked when it was trying to enter Haifa (sic) which was then under siege. The Chief of the Mission says that it was a planned attack. Meanwhile, the US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has accused Russia of supplying arms, weapons and other military equipments to Syria. It has also been stated that the Syrian regime is fast losing its control having already lost command over a large part of the country to the rebels. The government forces are trying to get back their control of those areas by use of unlimited force. It has also been reported that foreign elements are creeping into Syria. The fight is no more unilateral and the rebel forces are giving tough fight to the military with exchange of fire and blasts. The fighting has now spread to several areas. In the ensuing confusion, many extremist organizations are trying to work for their benefit while anti-Muslim elements are also reported to have joined the rebel forces. The Syrian government is guilty and should be condemned of the innumerable unaccounted killings and the people’s movement should be supported. However, the Muslim world seems to be completely helpless and seems to have no power to implement some sort of discipline in the fighting.

The enemies of Muslims have been manipulating their weaknesses. There are more than 50 Muslim countries in the world, constituting nearly 1.5 billion of the world's population yet are not one unit. They have a united platform in the name of the OIC which however, is nothing more than a dysfunctional organization and as witnessed in the case of Syria, it has remained completely unmoved without showing any responsibility. The Muslim world neither has a mechanism to deal with emergency situations nor any programme for progress in normal circumstances. That is why an individual country in dealing with any emergency has to ask for help from others; most of the Muslim countries don’t even have the capability to secure their borders. The irony is they do not lack natural, material or human resources. However, they do lack a responsible, honest and loyal leadership. The current leaders are mostly working under foreign duress or have ulterior loyalties. All are concerned about their own self and do not bother about the community. As the community dithers to smaller denominations, the leaders are busy protecting their self interest. The vision for a united community by doing away with the artificial borders is non-existent. Nobody has this vision to give a call for such unity nor has there been any attempt made for it. It’s an idea that seems to have been condemned into bleak silence.
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The Siasta Daily (The Politics Daily), Hyderabad
Editorial, 17 June 2012, Sunday
2. Egyptian Parliament Dissolved
The Egyptian parliament was dissolved by the military rulers under order from the country’s Supreme Court. The parliament building has been put under heavy security. This can cause a new crisis in Egypt. The ruling by the court that the new parliament is unconstitutional is not a good sign for democracy. It has come at a time when Egypt is heading towards the final round of presidential election. Egypt is still not a complete democracy since the ouster of former President Hosni Mubarak. The Muslim Brotherhood was in majority in the dissolved Parliament. The immediate action by the military rulers is an attempt to undermine the chances of the Brotherhood’s Presidential candidate. An independent judiciary is always a nemesis for political leaders and the Egyptian political class is shocked with this ruling. The ruling however, is a major setback for the Muslim Brotherhood which had worked tirelessly to achieve a majority in the Parliament and may not be able to sustain similar electoral performance in subsequent elections. The ruling can lead to many negative outcomes; Islamists will try to increase their influence in the judiciary to have a favourable judicial environment in future. The military rulers now have a huge responsibility to create a conducive environment for the implementation of the court ruling without disturbing peace in the country and without scuttling the mandate of the elected President and representatives by the people. It is also feared that the ruling and subsequent moves by the military rulers may lead to civil war as it happened in Algeria two decades back. It is imminent to promote democratic environment in Egypt to avoid any kind of rebellious reaction from the masses. The ruling may lead to political disturbances and it is the responsibility of military rulers to maintain peace. The court ruling smears of prejudice in the judiciary against the Islamists. The court has also allowed former Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq to run for presidential elections. Shafiq, if elected, could provide a strong leadership to Egypt if the military rulers do not influence his government but the court ruling may lead to another movement in Egypt. The people of Egypt will have to find a way out of this crisis after the ruling as it has the potential to divide the Egyptian society.
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Hindustan Express (Daily Hindustan Express), New Delhi
Editorial, 18 June 2012, Monday
3. Return to Tahrir Square
The dissolution of the Egyptian parliament by the ruling Military Council can lead to another movement in the Tahrir Square. The iconic square was witness to the movement against Mubarak. The people of Egypt are anxious because their elected representatives have been declared unconstitutional in a Supreme Court ruling. This may prove to be a spark for yet another round of agitations at a juncture when the people have to elect a new President. The Muslim Brotherhood which had a majority in the dissolved parliament has termed its dissolution unconstitutional. Terming the move as undemocratic, it has also appealed to the people to come forward and protect their democratic rights. The Military Council has said that it is simply carrying out the court's order. It was expected that the people of Egypt would get the government of their choice after the fall of Mubarak which was why they participated in the parliamentary elections with immense enthusiasm. The court ruling seems to be a ploy to backstab the democratic stirrings in Egypt by the Military Council. It has also been announced that the new president will take over the government by the end of June. Further, it is feared that the Constituent Assembly, which is working on drafting a new constitution for Egypt, may also be disqualified. This will definitely scuttle any chances of democracy in Egypt.

The parliament building has been put on high security, even prohibiting members from entering the parliament. The UN Secretary General has expressed his worries on these developments which might lead to clashes between the military and the members of the new parliament. The new president will have to work for the reinstatement of the elected body or announce fresh elections. The two final candidates had had a close finish in the first round. Political analysts say that Egypt is at a crossroad and the new developments could lead to another authoritarian rule backed by the military. However, Ahmed Shafiq said on the last day of campaigning that if the Muslim Brotherhood candidate comes to power, it might lead to the rise of fundamentalism in Egypt. He also raised doubts about the Muslim Brotherhood’s policies towards women and minorities.

It is now very important for the people of Egypt to work towards the protection of their revolution. The Islamist group has appealed to the people to come forward and not allow their earlier sacrifices to go waste. Moreover, the people are themselves extremely anguished with the remnants of the previous regime and might not accept the former aid of Mubarak as their new president. According to the political analysts there was no need to dissolve the parliament to implement the court ruling; rather, conducting re-elections at select constituencies where unconstitutional elections had taken place would have sufficed, through which the Military Council could have avoided agitations and protests. It is also a concern that the military is trying to bring the previous regime back through manipulations. There are also voices that term this action as one driven by Islamo-phobic Western influence. It is yet to be seen whether democracy takes root in Egypt or is scuttled at its very nascent stage.
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The Etemaad Urdu Daily (The Confidence Urdu Daily), Hyderabad
Editorial, 19 June 2012, Tuesday
4. Death of Prince Naif
The demise of Prince Naif bin Abdul Aziz has created a big political and administrative vacuum in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as he was a strong pillar of kingdom’s security and its conservative Wahhabi ideology. He devoted his entire life for this cause. He was a strong advocate of the kingdom’s ideology based on the Wahhabi tradition.

The death of Naif who recently was instated as the Crown Prince is a severe blow to the Kingdom coming close to the death of Prince Sultan at a time when King Abdullah is also into his late eighties. It is indeed a testing time for the King. The 76 year old, Prince Salman, has been made the new Crown Prince, though he also suffers from several health complications. The kingdom has now to brace up to a transition of power to the third generation of the Al Saud. Two close deaths of the leading princes have left a void in the ruling family which could be difficult to replace.

Prince Naif was the Interior Minister of the kingdom for three decades, responsible for the security of the entire kingdom and played an important role in the government as the Prime Minister. Despite differences on the issue of reforms, he worked closely with the King, who considered him an important asset for the government. Prince Naif was an important cog in the wheel of the Saudi Kingdom particularly in dealing with any security concern. The late Prince had focused on the strengthening of the security apparatus of the Kingdom since the beginning of his career and worked towards the modernization of the intelligence and law enforcing agencies. He was instrumental in dealing with the rebellion faced by the ruling family in 1979, when extremists had taken the Kabah under siege. He was again at the forefront of the measures to deal with rising fundamentalism in the Kingdom in the wake of the September 11 attacks on the US.

He never compromised on the security of the kingdom and always took a strong position. However, he had a soft heart for his people and always responded to their call for help. Yet as he was always interested in looking at the world from an Islamic point of view, he was criticized in the West for human rights violations. It can also be said that the demise of Naif has given hope to the advocates of reform in the kingdom as the new Crown Prince is also supposed to be a reformist. He is expected to take forward the careful reform initiatives by King Abdullah.

Prince Salman has a reform-oriented image and is taking over the powerful post at a time when the youth in the kingdom are anxious for change. More than 30 percent of the population comprise of the youth and unemployment levels are as high as 10.5 percent. Women are also restless; nearly 78 percent of the population of women  are graduate but do not find employment. The new Crown Prince will have to deal with such problems on priority basis.
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Roznama Rashtriya Sahara (National Sahara Daily), Delhi
Editorial, 19 June 2012, Tuesday
5. Muslim Brotherhood and Israel
Mohamed Morsi of Muslim Brotherhood has been declared elected as the new president of Egypt. He received 54 percent of the votes in a low turnout in the voting. More than the victory of Morsi, people are happy about Ahmed Shafiq’s defeat, who was a close aid of former President Hosni Mubarak. This however does not bring an end to Egypt’s problems. The military is not willing to abdicate easily. It has announced that the military will retain administrative powers and will have control over financial matters. This will certainly lead to clashes and the military will have to come down. The positive change is that the new president has been elected by the people. An important issue that has arisen is the Brotherhood’s attitude towards Israel. It was a strong opponent of the Camp David Accord. It was due to this opposition that Anwar Sadat had banned the organization. The Brotherhood may have a relook at the Accord; however, any emotional decision can be strategically disastrous. It would not be in the Egyptian interest to do away with the Accord. This will not bring in any benefit for the Muslim Brotherhood at home or abroad.

Israel seems to be very anxious about the developments in Egypt as the latter is experiencing a new situation. The border between Gaza Strip and Egypt has almost become meaningless. This will certainly help the Palestinian economy which is in shambles. The Palestinians could now have an opening in the neighbourhood. The situation had reached a point where Jordan which has a vast Palestinian population also remained silent over the suppression and occupation of Palestinians. Israel now has lost its ally in the region. It could not do anything about the developments in Egypt. It would be interesting to see what cards the two sides shall play; from Egyptian side it would be better to let Israel play its card first. Israel will certainly not attempt any military action against Egypt. Even the US will not allow such an adventure. The US did not attempt to prevent the fall of Mubarak beyond a point.

It would be important to watch if Israel tries to open a dialogue with Egypt. One wonders that if Israel tries to establish contacts with the new government, what could be Morsi's response? He could easily say that with some conditions Egypt would be willing to continue with the peace agreement. It will be better to allow Israel to make its first move in this regard. The Brotherhood has to in any case deal with several challenges at the domestic front. Additionally, the Egyptian economy is in a bad shape posing a crucial test for the new government. In such a scenario, it would be not advisable to clash directly with the military, which in effect would be an ideal situation from the Israeli perspective. Morsi would do well to work towards gaining a large support base among the people and avoid clashing with the military. The best way forward would be to work towards improving the economy, which can lead to the widening of mass support for the new president. Irrespective, the end of authoritarian rule in Egypt is an important historic event for the Arab world.
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Dawat Online (Invitation), New Delhi
Editorial, 22 June 2012, Friday
6. New Crisis in Egypt
Some groups have been casting aspersions on the way events unfolded in Egypt after the 25 January revolution. The ruling class, secular intelligentsia as well as the westernized groups did not like the new turn that the Egyptian polity took. The military is another party which did not like the revolution. The military leadership though being mostly westernized, has elements within it with a soft corner for the revolution. The military did not try to suppress the revolution as was feared. However, it tried to manipulate the void created in the Egyptian political structure and pro-West elements took control of the leadership. Some of its recent decisions confirm this notion. Some of the decisions seem to have been taken in haste, but a relook at it shows that these are well planned measures to prevent an Islamist rule over the country. It was propagated that the revolution had been hijacked by a certain group, which has been trying to manipulate it for its own aims and objectives. The military adopted this strategy to achieve two objectives; one to buy time to device its policy to deal with the revolution and second, to disgrace the pro-revolutionary forces. The electoral process which was held in November was termed unconstitutional within months to change the path the revolution has taken. The enthusiasm of the masses for democracy and revolution were not dampened in the electoral process and nearly 80 percent of the population exercised their franchise during the general elections. The results showed that the masses wholeheartedly supported the revolutionary forces. Thus, the mandate of the people has been violated by terming the electoral process as unconstitutional. The Islamist victory alarmed their rivals. This led to a much pondered step to allow anti-revolutionary forces to run for the Presidency. When the results of the Presidential elections came out, it showed that a large number of supporters belonging to Islamist groups had scattered among other forces. It was tried to deny success to the Islamist candidate but when it became impossible, decisions were imposed to scuttle any kind of free working of the new President. The situation now stands at a juncture that sees the new President hardly have any legislative support or executive powers and will have to work in tandem with the Military Council thereby pushing Egypt into a new crisis.
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Hindustan Express (Daily Hindustan Express), New Delhi
Editorial, 25 June 2012, Monday
7. Turkish-Syria Tensions
The incident of a Turkish fighter plane being shot down by the Syrian army has increased the chances of a regional war amidst spiralling violence in Syria. According to Syrian military sources the plane was flying inside Syrian air space while Turkey claims that it was well into the international space. Turkey is a member of NATO and has asked for a meeting to discuss the incident. The Turkish military is efficient and strong. A war between Turkey and Syria will not be good news for the region. The investigations till now reveal that the incident occurred due to some confusion; the Syrian side suspected it to be a NATO fighter plane coming to provide aid to the rebels. Though the Turkish Premier has accused Syria of shooting down their plane, Turkey is not taking any hasty measures. It has been further clarified that any action will be taken after a proper investigation. The Turkish Premier convened an emergency meeting to review the incident which was attended by the Chief of Staff, the Defence Minister, Foreign Minister as well as the Interior Minister.

Syria has been under a civil war like situation for more than a year but this is the first incident where a fighter plane of a neighbouring country has been shot down by the Syrian army. It will be difficult to gauge the actual circumstances but it can nonetheless be speculated that the Syrian action could snowball into a regional crisis. Some international commentators have said that this perhaps might provide a reason for external intervention. Moreover, earlier, some clashes had been reported at the Turkey-Syria border. Turkey had then threatened Syria for taking help of NATO. Political and security analysts have said that even if the Turkish plane had violated Syrian air space, other measures could have been taken and that shooting down the plane was instead a provocation.

This crisis has unfolded at a time when the Special UN envoy to Syria, Kofi Annan, has expressed his disappointment about the chances for peace. It was said that the international community needed to put more pressure on both the sides to stop the fighting. It was spelled out in a joint press conference with General Robert Mood who was the Chief of the UN peace mission in Syria. It was also said that the situation on the ground in Syria was worsening and was not favourable for observers to continue their monitoring. It has to be noted that Kofi Annan had made several visits to achieve peace in Syria without much success. The Red Cross has issued a report accusing the Bashar al-Assad government of large scale human rights violations. The UN observers have seconded such claims but no tangible decrease in military mobilization has been witnessed in Syria. Major global powers have started to use this as an excuse to generate opinion for military intervention. Though China and Russia do not want the Libyan experiment to be repeated in Syria, there have been reports about direct military support to both the parties by regional and international players. Some commentators have termed this as a major reason for the continued clashes and violence. In this backdrop, it would be important to watch out for the Turkish reaction.
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The Etemaad Urdu Daily (The Confidence Urdu Daily), Hyderabad
Editorial, 26 June 2012, Tuesday
8. Testing Time for the Muslim Brotherhood
Mohamed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood has become the President of Egypt. It is, however a litmus test for him, to govern Egypt with limited authority. The Military Council has pruned the Presidential powers after taking over from Mubarak. The recently elected parliament has also been dissolved. The political institutions have been rendered useless. It is a direct message to Mohamed Morsi that he will have to work in tandem with the military. The Muslim Brotherhood will have to either accept the condition or bring back its supporters to the Tahrir Square.

It would be difficult for the Muslim Brotherhood to directly clash with the military on the issue of democratic functioning. The core group of the Brotherhood will soon have to take a call on this. Modern democratic processes, in principle, do not rely on rules and norms and decisions are taken on the basis of emerging scenarios, which may termed as real politic whereby one bases one's policies and programmes on facts rather than principles and norms. This could put the Brotherhood in a spot particularly with its Islamist credentials. The group which has faced immense suppression in the past may have come to power but the real test just starts now.

The international observers and the military have not cast any aspersions on the process of election. The mere agreement on Morsi’s victory indicates some sort of a rapprochement between the Muslim Brothers and the military generals.  However, the masses have yet to reconcile with the fact that the Military Council will have a share in power. Morsi has promised an inclusive government without any discrimination towards the minorities. He has also promised to respect all international agreements including the 1979 Peace Accord with Israel. Despite such assurances, the liberals and seculars have cast doubts on the Muslim Brotherhood’s policies and programmes.

The nature of politics may have changed but its basic premise never changes and the Egyptian Brotherhood should learn from Hamas when it comes to playing politics. Hamas has very successfully dealt with several issues arising out of real politic. Islam can only be part of the solution if it is not imposed on the people, in fact the people should accept it because of its principles. Modern civilization is searching for the right path and emotional outbursts will lead nowhere. The destination may look close but it could remain an illusion.
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Roznama Hamara Samaj (Daily Our Society), Delhi
Editorial, 26 June 2012, Tuesday
9. Democracy in Egypt
The election of Mohamed Morsi is a declaration of an end to the three decades of authoritarian rule in Egypt. He is the first elected president of Egypt. The fall of Mubarak has proved to be the end of individual rulers. Mubarak who was accused of corruption and mass murder is now in a prison hospital battling for his life. The election of Morsi has opened a new chapter in the politics of Egypt and the democratic opening is expected to lead Egypt towards growth and development. Tahrir Square has become iconic and the changes in the Arab world are a precursor to the coming change in the world order.

Islam is the most modern religion and is better than its predecessors because it inculcates better practices learning from the past. Islam was the first religion to call for an inclusive social and political structure. The Muslim Brotherhood was founded in 1928 to establish Islamic rule over Egypt. However, since its inception the group had faced several hardships and had been brutally suppressed many a time. But the spark which started in Egypt spread to different parts of the Arab world. The group now comes to power in Egypt 84 years after its foundation. International players, including the US, have welcomed the change in Egypt but the West still as always remains wary of Islam.

The people of Egypt collected at Tahrir Square to celebrate the victory of Morsi. However, the country has a long way to go as far as democracy is concerned as a number of powers still lie with the military. The Muslim Brotherhood will have to wait for implementation of Islamic doctrines. Other Muslim countries may follow the example of Egypt by doing away with individual rulers. The people now want democratic functioning in their countries. If the rulers are sensible they would themselves pave the way for democracy else face the ire of their people. It is expected that Mohamed Morsi will prove to be a good ruler who could set an example for democratic functioning by following Islamic doctrines of peace and love.
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Inquilab (The Revolution), Mumbai
Editorial, 26 June 2012, Wednesday
10. Egypt: From Tahrir Square until Today
The time will decide the historic importance of the electoral victory of Mohamed Morsi in Egyptian Presidential elections. Currently, it would be premature to say that Egypt will set on the path of democracy immediately and the military will leave the power that it has monopolized for the past six decades. The fall of Mubarak is now history. Tahrir Square has become iconic and will be remembered as the place where the people protested against the unaccountability of their rulers. The sudden outburst of anger in Egypt put away a strong authoritarian leader who had ruled the country with iron hands for thirty years. It was unimaginable one and a half years back that Mubarak would be facing prosecution in the Egyptian court.

There is no doubt that people’s power has brought an end to military generals and history is filled with such examples. But the Egyptian military, which has enjoyed the taste of power for such a long time, can play any card to protect its monopoly. The people of Egypt want an immediate end to their rule but the military is still not ready to relinquish complete power. It is the people of Egypt who have prevented any counter revolution by the military. The West is waiting for a miraculous change in the Egyptian political landscape so as the Muslim Brotherhood can be isolated from power. They are observing the situation in Egypt but the people are alert and are not ready to give an inch of their achievement to these shameless military generals.

If the Military Council hands over the rule to the newly elected President as per the schedule, on 30 June, then it would the beginning of a new test for the Muslim Brotherhood. The Military may be ready to relinquish its claim on heading the government but the roots of military in the Egyptian political structure is very strong. They have a strong hold over prominent positions at the centre and provincial government institutions. On the other hand, there would be a challenge in dealing with hostile international players. It would also be difficult to come up to the expectations of the people. The problems of poverty, unemployment and corruption cannot wane away immediately but the people want these problems to come down. Any sloppiness in dealing with such issues will immediately drive away the masses that has shown their confidence on Mohamed Morsi.
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Roznama Rashtriya Sahara (National Sahara Daily), Delhi
Editorial, 26 June 2012, Tuesday
11. Morsi’s Victory and International Reaction to it
It has been officially announced now that Mohamed Morsi has emerged victorious after the second round of presidential elections in Egypt. It is the same Mohamed Morsi who was imprisoned by Hosni Mubarak. Morsi, who ironically attained his higher education in the US. The Arab leaders have formally welcomed his victory but have shied away from any substantial reaction. As far as the people are concerned they celebrated his victory all over the country. Morsi after his election was interviewed by the FARS news agency of Iran where he said that his victory is the victory of the people of Egypt. He also stated that Egypt will immediately revive diplomatic relations with Iran.

Egypt and Iran had broken all diplomatic relations since the inception of the Islamic Republic in Iran. An important factor is that Iran and Egypt are the two most populated countries in the region with different sectarian affiliations. The revival of diplomatic relations will be a blow to the propaganda that Shias and Sunnis can never get along and unite. The Egyptian Foreign Minister had earlier announced that their government is willing to revive the relations with Iran but the pronouncements of the President-elect bears well for peace and unity in the region. Iran has been at the fore-front of welcoming the Arab Spring.

This will be an important step but there is a roadblock; Iran has been a strong supporter of the embattled Syrian regime but the Muslim Brotherhood has not yet made its stand clear on Syria. The West is wary of the Muslim Brotherhood so are their allies in the Arab world but one must not forget that the group has come a long way since its inception trying to adjust with newer realities of the world. It now has become a much more open group with liberal Islam at the core of its programme. The fundamentalist elements within the group have been largely isolated. The new generation of Brotherhood leaders realize the importance of inclusive polity and understand the flip side of religious extremism. The group had declared before the elections that it will chalk out a ‘moderate’ policy and programme for governance. It realizes that religious fundamentalism can win power but it takes much more to govern a country like Egypt which has a sizable population of minorities. The attitude towards minorities will be an important test for the Muslim Brotherhood and the President-elect.
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The Siasta Daily (The Politics Daily), Hyderabad
Editorial, 26 June 2012, Tuesday
12. A New President for Egypt
The Muslim Brotherhood has again proved its popularity among the people by emerging victorious in the Presidential elections. Mohamed Morsi will be the new President of Egypt. Morsi defeated former Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq with 52 percent votes. The Arab leaders have welcomed the result but Israel has been saddened by it. It is indeed a shock for the West which did not want an Islamist group to come to power. The Israeli Prime Minster has refused to give any immediate reaction while the people in Gaza Strip have burst into celebrations. The Western powers are now worried about the Brotherhood’s ascendency and may try to scuttle the elections. These powers have been reportedly instrumental in the dissolution of the Egyptian Parliament. They would have loved to see a puppet government in Egypt but free and fair elections have strengthened the Islamists. Morsi had faced imprisonment during Mubarak’s rule. However, it would not be easy to fulfil the aspirations of the people. He will have to take immediate measures to improve the economy but will have to avoid harsh measures. On the other hand, it would be a challenge to work in tandem with the military, which has not relinquished all powers. An important task would be to prune the Judiciary and other institutions off military influence. The immediate task would be to provide relief to the people through social welfare and curbing of corruption and conducting good governance. Other important factors would be the introduction of a new constitution, foreign policy and security. Morsi has indicated that the new government will respect all previous international agreements including those with Israel and work for better relations with all neighbouring countries and international powers. The Muslim Brotherhood was founded for the spread of education and religion; their political aspirations and acumen will now be tested. Nevertheless, the Islamist victory in Egypt is an encouraging proposition for the entire Arab world and Islamic world. The Brotherhood will have to work for the betterment of the Egyptian people in order to make Egypt a better nation.
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Dawat Online (Invitation), New Delhi
Editorial, 28 June 2012, Thursday
13. A New Beginning in Egypt
It was officially declared on 24 June that the Muslim Brotherhood candidate Mohamed Morsi won the presidential elections. The result was announced by the Supreme Presidential Electoral Commission, according to which Mohamed Morsi got a total of 13,280,131 while Ahmed Shafiq polled a total of 12,347,380 votes, leading to Morsi’s victory by a margin of 932,751 votes. The delay in the  announcement of the result has caused escalation in political activity in Egypt. The commission stated that the delay in announcing the results was caused due to complaints of malpractice in polling. Though unofficially, results had been known since the counting was completed. The electoral process was free and fair as per the observers and commentators. The electoral constitution was headed by the Chief of the Supreme Constitutional Court, which had ordered the dissolution of the parliament. Another important incident was the resolution issued by the ruling Military Council that seized all powers, meaning that the new president will have to work under the military. The step, it is largely believed, has been taken to scuttle the democratic functioning of the government.

The new president has been endorsed by the people and welcomed by various nations but faces a humongous task of building a democratic government as well as a sustainable economy. It would not be easy to fulfil people’s aspirations. An important roadblock is the seizure of power by the military rendering the new president almost without any authority. Currently Egypt does not have any permanent constitution; the interim constitution has been formulated by the military. The recent order has made the military a kind of supreme authority in the government which will overlook its functioning. Another important roadblock is the judiciary which is a remnant of the past regime and the product of a constitution which is now abolished. Moreover, there are now doubts about the process of constitution formulation. The dissolution of the elected parliament has cast aspersions on the process of the formulation of the constitution. The question now is who will comprise the Constituent Assembly. The new president comes from an ideological group which can be a real challenge. It will thus be a challenge for the group to strike a balance between the short-term and the long-term programme.
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Compiled and Translated by Md. Muddassir Quamar

Md. Muddassir Quamar is a Doctoral Candidate at the School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University. Email

As part of its editorial policy, the MEI@ND standardizes spelling and date formats to make the text uniformly accessible and stylistically consistent. The views expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views/positions of the MEI@ND. Editor, MEI@ND: P R Kumaraswamy