Unfulfilled promises?
By Mohsen Zahran
There is a growing belief that the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, which was entrusted by ousted president Hosni Mubarak to run the country during a six-month transitional period until a civilian government could be properly elected and installed, is not too keen to have a new constitution adopted with full democratic processes and transparent procedures.
Fears are that the military presence in Egyptian public life cannot be terminated, spanning the period since the 1952 coup d'�tat and the subsequent authoritarian rule of ex-military presidents Gamal Abdel-Nasser, Anwar El-Sadat and Hosni Mubarak. The stakes, powers and interests are too great to relinquish or share.
The path to slowly and steadily retaining the status quo has included, among other fundamental issues: divisionary tactics, including absence of a roadmap and a definite timetable; the belated adoption of an elections law that has been rejected by all parties and political factions; the reinstitution of emergency law with tighter measures to control the media and public protests; the enlargement of electoral districts; the postponement of election dates from the originally announced deadline of October 2011 to January 2012; the continuation, since January, of a lack of security, with violence, corruption and lawlessness; the unmitigated growth of distrust between the people and police; the infiltration of political parties and revolutionary groups in order to cause their self-destruction and loss of inertia, an old technique and tactic used by former officials.
Is it a mere allegation that none of the objectives of the January Revolution has been implemented, except the trials of the ousted president and some of his men?
Also, the cabinet has promised to meet the rightful demands of many sit-ins and demonstrations by workers, unions, professional groups and university staff, but failed to fulfil its promises, redress their grievances, and implement their demands. The final account of achievements after eight months is certainly disappointing, distressing and frustrating.
This week's Soapbox speaker is emeritus professor of planning, University of Alexandria.