A supreme
Mursi mess
By JAMAL KANJ*
Thursday, December 06, 2012
http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/NewsDetails.aspx?storyid=343181
EGYPTIAN democracy is alive and well. That is about the only
positive observation on the current pro and counter demonstrations in major
cities across the country.
President Mohammed Mursi's precarious pronouncement on
November 22 granting himself supreme powers instigated the current crisis.
His far-reaching decrees came on the heels of a Gaza
ceasefire, which accorded him public approbation and international acclamation
for averting another Israeli land invasion into the overcrowded, besieged
Strip.
Whether the opportune timing was by design or pure luck,
Mursi has miscalculated the public's sentiment and vigilance. Egyptians long
ago shattered the wall of fear in toppling their last dictator and are
determined never to revert to tyranny.
In his five-point doctrine, Mursi included two popular
decrees dealing with the old regime to camouflage three diktats giving him the
authority to do whatever is needed to safeguard "the revolution".
But whose revolution is he referring to? Is it the Muslim
Brotherhood's vision or the collective idea that ended decades of dictatorship?
Needless to say, the Brotherhood was
a"Johnny-come-lately" to Tahrir Square - the cradle of the revolution
Mursi is claiming to protect.
Besides, having been the Brotherhood's second option (their
first choice was disqualified), many in the opposition fear that Mursi is a
figurehead for a shadowy government run by the party.
This was one of several reasons protesters rejected outright
the president's assertion that his decrees were short-term, "expiring with
the successful referendum on the new constitution".
The temporary phase was qualified by a "successful
referendum", which could last as long as needed or until a new
constitution was certified.
Egyptians
have lived for more than five decades under dictatorships with special
extraordinary powers to protect a different "revolution". In fact,
they endured three decades of "temporary" emergency rule - ending
only with the departure of Hosni Mubarak.
The timing of Mursi's sweeping power grab, just a week after
the withdrawal of secularists and Christians from the Islamist-dominated
Constitutional Assembly, is also of concern.
Following his speech, the new constitution was slated for
completion by early spring. Then magically the assembly completed a draft after
a nine-hour marathon meeting less than a week later and a referendum was
scheduled for December 15.
By eviscerating and freezing the judicial branch of the
government, Mursi was pre-empting impending jurisdictional review of the work
of the assembly.
This week his supporters blocked defiant Supreme
Constitutional Court judges from entering their chambers. The court was
scheduled to adjudicate on the legitimacy of the Islamist-dominated assembly on
Sunday.
Opposing the president's dictatorial measures include a wide
ranging coalition of progressive parties, most of the presidential candidates
and Nobel Peace Prize winner Mohamed ElBaradei.
The protesters are afraid Mursi is leaving them with one of
two options: an Islamist-tinged constitution or a "temporary"
dictatorship.
It is indisputable that the Brotherhood's candidate won fair
and square more than 50 per cent of the public vote in the landmark
presidential election. The vote was not, however, an endorsement for the party
to design an unscrupulous system intended to halt the evolution of Egyptian
democracy.
To preserve the people's achievements, a sustainable
democracy must be inclusive, all citizens should be empowered to influence
change and leaders should be elected on a rotational basis.
Mursi must choose between being a president of all of
Egyptians or a deputy for a shadowy party dictatorship.
The protesters are now demanding a reversal of the latest
dictatorial declarations. If not resolved soon, Mursi could face being stripped
of his title through a presidential recall.
*Jamal Kanj
writes frequently on Arab world issues and is the author of Children of
Catastrophe, Journey from a Palestinian Refugee Camp to America. He can be
reached at [email protected]. |