For eighteen months, Egypt has been with no president, no constitution, and no higher authority for the army, the judiciary system, the parliament, or the police force. For months, Egypt has had a dummy parliament, a dummy cabinet and a dummy police force. Yet the Egyptians have survived; business as usual for all of us. If this tells us anything, it is that the former regime was in fact useless to the average Egyptian and to his daily life. It also tells us that despite everything, Egyptians do survive. And mind you, they learned to say NO.
Under the biggest threat and extreme circumstances, we still manage to fight. Even after the farcical elections forcing us to choose between a theocratic state and a military one, we still crack the funniest jokes. And today, after the announcement of the new constitution declaration, which removes all doubt with regards to the intentions of the Supreme Council of Armed Forces, Egyptians will continue to fight for their survival. With the initial elections results pointing to MB’s Mohamed Morsi’s advancement over former regime’s Ahmed Shafiq, it looks like we will have a military theocratic state. As SCAF has continuously managed to surprise us with an uncanny ability to create the worst case scenario, they have also managed to bring about chaos in all its shapes and sizes.
While Egyptians are busy trying to decipher the new laws imposed on them and to make some sense of the legal predicament they are faced with every morning, the powers-that-be are busy playing their game of thrones. Deals are struck behind closed doors, as has been the case for decades. It is no secret that the Muslim Brotherhood (MB) and the ex-National Democratic Party (NDP) had worked together to slice up the parliament cake during the past twenty years, and this remains the case today. It is still the “folool” (former regime sympathizers and beneficiaries) and the MB, formerly known as the “banned organization” who are playing now. For the “folool”, it is the struggle for survival. And if the cup shall pass to the MB, they will not set it by – even if it is half full.
The two new players on the scene are the revolutionaries and SCAF, and they are playing an entirely separate game. Egyptian revolutionaries don’t lack for wits but they certainly have little judgment and no patience, they have undoubtedly failed to win the masses to the cause. Fighting to prevent the revolution from dwindling to no more than words, but not succeeding much in the face-off with mighty SCAF and its judiciary system. On the other hand, SCAF just wants to be left alone with its unlimited power and money.
They have now dealt a potent blow to the coming president with the constitution declaration, giving him absolutely no control over the country. Save for the title before his name, the coming president will be an average Egyptian working under the authority of SCAF.
