After The Fall of Mubarak Egyptians Await Elections

February 25th, 2011: 

"The ruling military council said it intends to retain power for six months or longer while elections are scheduled and will rule by decree. It suspended the constitution and said a committee will draw up amendments that will be put to a referendum. It also dissolved the widely discredited parliament, elected in a tainted ballot last year," the Guardian reports. Since the fall of the Mubarak regime on February on the 11th of February, the military has taken power and promised change but some protesters are still awaiting the elections until they are confident their revolution has reached its end. In fact, "activists returned to Tahrir Square in their thousands to demand faster pace to the reforms". This is not the only reason some protesters have continued demonstrations. They also want to have political prisoners released and they want a new cabinet without figures from the old Mubarak regime. Furthermore, Hosni Mubarak is to be put on trial and will be responsible for his 31 years of rule. To calm the protesters the "ruling military council has promised elections within six months." But activists have still chanted "Revolution until victory". It is fair for protesters to want elections as soon as possible after having waited for over 30 years for an opportunity. This must be kept in mind by the military until they are able to schedule an election. After all, history has sometimes had a revolution only to lead to more bad rulers, as seen in the French Revolution with leaders like Robespierre. It is certain that this revolution has been successful and will achieve democracy in Egypt soon and for that one can praise the Egyptian people. For the claims the demonstrators had were indeed legitimate and today have proved to better Egyptian society, and possibly also the economy as reforms are scheduled to be put into place. As this extraordinary revolution slowly ends, the world can learn a lesson from the Egyptian and Middle Eastern youth: if people want a change strongly enough, then they will fight for it until it is achieved. This Arab Spring is far from over, but already flowers have begun to blossom where there was once only dirt.

Egyptians Celebrate As Hosni Mubarak Resigns

February 11th, 2011:
"After 18 days of mass protest, it took just over 30 seconds for Egypt's vice-president, Omar Suleiman, to announce that President Hosni Mubarak was standing down and handing power to the military." Today, Egyptian protesters celebrate the victory of their almost 3 week campaign for revolution. Only four days ago Mubarak announced a 15% rise in salaries and pensions in a desperate attempt to satisfy demonstrators. Despite this obvious attempt to improve income distribution and make peasants and other lower class workers happy enough to stop rebelling against the Mubarak regime, it did not work as today's events have proven. As the ruling National Democratic party lost power today, after it had won more "83% of the 518 seats in the 2010 parliamentary elections", it seemed uncertain when the military council led by the defense minister, Field Marshal Mohammad Hussein Tantawi, would hand over power to an elected party. "But the military council said it would not act as a substitute for a 'legitimate' government. A spokesman said on TV that the armed forces would be announcing steps and arrangements to introduce the changes Egyptians wanted." It is clear that Egyptians have indeed deserved this success and the toppling of the old regime which has now unlocked them a path to fair elections and eventually improved lives. Up to 300 lives have been claimed by violent protests but Karim Medhat Ennarah, a protester is optimistic: "For 18 days we have withstood teargas, rubber bullets, live ammunition, Molotov cocktails, thugs on horseback, the scepticism and fear of our loved ones, and the worst sort of ambivalence from an international community that claims to care about democracy. But we held our ground. We did it." Wael Ghonim, a Google-executive who had recently been released by police after being arrested for several days, also helped carry the demonstrations into the final stages. Hailed by fellow Egyptians as a hero, Ghonim was the one who had set up the Facebook page "We are all Khaled Said" (named after an Egyptian businessman whose death in June at the hands of the police set of many demonstrations). This Facebook page and the overall help of social media in the revolution helped bypass state controlled media censorship and was therefore "one of the main tools for organizing the demonstrations that started the revolt in earnest". The final push that led to the fall of the regime was also provided by the United States and the rest of the world as they sided with the protesters. Only a day before Mubarak stepped down, Obama issued the following statement: "The Egyptian government must put forward a credible, concrete and unequivocal path toward genuine democracy, and they have not yet seized that opportunity." Obama also praised the protesters by saying: "Those who have exercised their right to peaceful assembly represent the greatness of the Egyptian people, and are broadly representative of Egyptian society." After the turbulent day before Mubarak's resignation "Switzerland immediately froze the assets of the former President" and he left Cairo, to go to Sharm el-Sheikh where Mubarak has his government villas. For now, protesters are celebrating their victory from Alexandria and Suez to Cairo. Still, Mohamed ElBaradei, a prominent opposition leader called the change a 'liberation of the Egyptian people' but also said: "We have a lot of daunting tasks ahead of us. Our priority to make sure the country is restored; socially cohesive, economically vibrant, politically democratic," he said. "My message to the Egyptian people is, you have gained your liberty, the right to catch up with the rest of the world. Make the best use of it." Indeed, it seems the future will be brighter than the past but Egyptians will still need the energy and motivation they had in their large demonstrations to tackle the issues Egypt still faces - some left-over from Mubarak's disturbing dictatorship. Economic issues like debt and inflation and social issues like poverty, a new constitution and new rights will need to be solved by the new government that will be elected in the upcoming elections. Today, however, protesters will celebrate the dawn of a new and hopefully better Egypt- one that their revolution has made possible.

Biggest Protest Yet In Cairo Puts Pressure on Mubarak To Step Down

February 4th, 2011: 

The "day of departure" protest that was scheduled in Tahrir Sqaure today produced the biggest turn-out yet of anti-Mubarak protests. Even after Egypt's President, Hosni Mubarak announced on February 1st that he would stand down during the next election in September. However, millions still joined in the protests today because they want Mubarak to step down immediately, and as the Egyptian actor Mohsena Tawfik put it: "Once revolution has begun it will not stop". Barack Obama supported the revolutionaries by saying that "change must begin now". Yet as Mubarak made his grave appearance on state television earlier this week he "attacked those responsible for protests that had been 'manipulated by political forces', caused mayhem and chaos and endangered the 'stability of the nation', the Guardian reports. Mubarak said he was always going to quit in September, something he had never told the public until recently. Ironicly this appearance of Mubarak may be the very reason protests have escalated recently. Amr, a 32-year-old protester said: "the tragedy is in the lies told about us by the regime". This clearly shows that the protesters have the right to continue demanding the immediate step down of Mubarak. With 20% of the population currently below the poverty line it is clear that society is made up mostly of the lower class where a stable Bourgeoisie, or middle class, is clearly missing. This explains why protests have been so popular, as indeed the lower class are feeling the effects of Mubarak regime's failure at improving the economy the most (most notably felt in unemployment and the cost of living, since many young people in Egypt now do not earn enough money to support a family). Another reason protests have continued is the anger at pro-Mubarak supporters, who according to the Guardian, have been "using clubs, bats, knives and even homemade spears" to charge Tahrir Square. This shows that Mubarak feels the need to combat mostly peaceful protests with violence which only makes the protester claims more legitimate. In fact, a coalition of 300 youth coordinators  who planned the initial demonstrations against the Mubarak regime have laid down specific demands."They include not just the removal of Mubarak but also the disassembling of the entire NDP elite around him, precluding a smooth transition should vice-president Omar Suleiman, a close Mubarak ally, take the helm once the president leaves" They also call "for the formation of a committee made up of judges, youth leaders and the military which will appoint a transitional government, plus a founding council of intellectuals and constitutional experts who will draw up a new constitution and put it to the Egyptian people in a referendum." Finally, they "demand free and fair elections at a local and national level once the new constitution has been implemented." These are all concrete claims that are based on basic human rights and this is why through social media and international press, many foreign countries support the trustfulness of the demonstrators movement, fittingly called the "Arab Spring". In fact, if the revolution should be successful then no doubt the economy will improve as well. This is because currently the protests are endangering the tourism sector of Egypt's economy and have already caused a loss of $1billion in tourism in the past nine days. However, Egypt is said to receive about $11 billion in revenue through tourism a year and so Mubarak needs to step down as soon as possible to stop any more money collected to go lost. Furthermore, even with direct taxes on ships "using the Suez canal generated $954.3 billion in the last financial year... Egypt still ran a current account deficit of $803 million in the third quarter of 2010 and had to borrow to cover the difference." This shows that if educated and democratic leaders are finally allowed to help govern he economy of Egypt it is possible to reverse the effects of Mubarak's mediocre financial ministry and regain purchasing power which can help alleviate poverty and develop infrastructure. It is clear that these protests are indeed legitimate and that the pressure is on for Mubarak to step down. The coming days will prove critical to determine whether this revolution will finally take the next step and reach the phase of the 'Fall of the Old Regime'.

As Protests In Egypt Escalate Revolution Seems Certain

January 31st, 2011:
Over the course of the last few days protests in Egypt have turned more and more into revolution-like gatherings. The protests turned violent on January 27th as tear gas was used to disperse crowds in Tahrir square. Riot police have begun crackdowns on the protesters and even journalists are not safe anymore as one Guardian reporter put it. Tens of thousands of anti-government protesters have taken to the streets now, not only in Central Cairo but also in Suez, Alexandria and other Egyptian cities as the protest spreads like wildfire around Egypt. Due to this Mubarak supposedly "dismissed his government and said a new cabinet would be announced", however "he refused to step down but promised to promote democracy. He also defended the role of the security forces in tackling the unrest" the Guardian has reported. This has angered demonstrators even more as they continue to demand more liberty, rights and independence. In fact, the demonstrators "set fire to the headquarters of the governing Nnational Democratic party (NDP) and besieged state TV and the foreign ministry." Tanks are reported to be converging on Tahrir Square threatening to turn this into another Tienanmen Square incident. Already, hospital sources say at least 13 people have been killed in Suez and 5 in  Cairo and more than 1,000 have been wounded. Furthermore, just recently it has been said the Mubarak has allowed military troops to fire at protesters as he desperately clings to power. A curfew has been set in place to curb protests. Yet, the Egyptian opposition leader Mohamed ElBaradei, has predicted change within "the next few days". It has been planned that a million will march on a soon upcoming critical day for the rebellion and this has caused the vice-president to say he will talk with the opposition. Moreover, "Egypt's army gave a powerful boost to the country's opposition by announcing that it would not use force to silence "legitimate" demands for democratic reforms in the Arab world's largest nation." As one regards this information it is hard to see how Mubarak still manages to cling onto power with so much pressure on him to step down. In fact the Egyptians now see themselves as citizens instead of subject and believe they have the right to change the country they live in. This is mainly because they feel they have no representation in the government which is of a old generation and is struggling to keep up with the demands of the heavily young population. Therefore, it is clear that protesters will not stop in their revolution until they feel they have achieved equality, as any constitution should permit. The emergency law right now is not allowing for the right of a free trial or the right to vote fairly. This is why the revolution in Egypt seems so certain to succeed, especially now with the protests increasing in number and intensity.

Mass Protests In Egypt Start a Tunisian-Style Revolution

January 25th, 2011:
Thousands protested against President Hosni Mubarak today in the apparent start of a Tunisian inspired revolution. Protesters demanded Mubarak to 'go' and resign as President, because they insisted Egyptians no longer supported his regime or 'system'. Thousands of people began taking to the streets to protest poverty, rampant unemployment, government corruption and autocratic governance of President Hosni Mubarak, who has ruled the country for thirty years. The Huffington Post reports the following: "These were the first protests on such a large scale to be seen in Egypt since the 1970s. The government responded by blocking Twitter, which was being used by organizers to coordinate protests." It seems that Egyptians finally want to achieve a state of government that allows self-determination. This seems to be a legitimate demand of the Mubarak regime which has continually oppressed Egyptian youth instead of reforming their government to become more modern and free. In fact, Egypt, economically and socially, is not as it should be. This is because "protester grievances [rightly] focused on police brutality, state emergency laws, lack of free speech and elections, high unemployment, rising food prices, inflation, and low minimum wages"; and these are all issues that the Mubarak regime has done little to solve. Because the regime continues to oppose any idea of change within their government and has blocked certain social media sites, the protesters have been able to gain the support of the international community. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said the following concerning the "Day of Rage" campaign that occurred today: "Human and political rights of people are fundamental, and the economic challenges that face many of the people in the Middle East, as well as elsewhere, are important." It is clear that the non-violent demonstrations, marches and labor strikes in Cairo and other cities in Egypt are legitimate. For now, however, Hosni Mubarak shows no signs of lifting his tight rule on Egypt to allow any valid democratic elections or true reform. 

Egypt May Witness a Tunisian Style Revolution As Unrest Grows

January 18th, 2011:
Tunisia's recent revolution which led to the country's President, Ben Ali, to flee on January 14th may serve as inspiration to Egyptian youth who want to revolt against Hosni Mubarak, the almost 30 year-long dictator of the nation. This may be partly due to his background. In fact, Muhammad Hosni Sayyid Mubarak was sworn in on the 14th of October 1981, after Anwar Sadat's (the former President) unexpected assassination eight days prior. He has since then reigned with emergency rule and an iron fist. BBC News reports the following about Mubarak's ascension to rule : "Despite having little popular appeal or international profile at the time, the burly military man used his sponsorship of the issue behind Sadat's killing - peace with Israel - to build up his reputation as an international statesman." Since he first took office he still has his country under emergency law which means his government ultimately controls everything and has uncompromising powers of arrest and the power to halt basic freedoms. BBC News reports: "The government argued the draconian regime was necessary to combat Islamist terrorism, which came in waves during the decades of Mr Mubarak's rule - often targeting Egypt's lucrative tourism sector." Today, however this may not ring true anymore. Even though Mubarak has promised to reform Egypt into a more democratic state, he has continued to lead in a absolutist style. Mubarak has won three elections unopposed since 1981, and only in his fourth contest, as recent as 2005, did he allow a system where rival candidates could participate (this was heavily demanded by the US at the time). Yet, "critics said the election was heavily weighted in favour of Mr Mubarak and the National Democratic Party (NDP). They accused the Egyptian leader of presiding over a sustained campaign of suppressing opposition groups, most notably the Muslim Brotherhood", a BBC News source indicates. When one regards this information it is clear why a member of the Egyptian youth would want to oust Mubarak and finally achieve reform, Tunisian style. Mohamed ElBaradei, an Egyptian dissident, has already warned of a "Tunisian style explosion" in Egypt. ElBaradei believes that "what has transpired in Tunisia is no surprise and should be very instructive both for the political elite in Egypt and those in the west that back dictatorships. Suppression does not equal stability, and anybody who thinks that the existence of authoritarian regimes is the best way to maintain calm is deluding themselves." Egypt has experienced self-immolation protests similar to the one that happened in Tunisia early in December where "Mohamed Bouazizi, set fire to himself in protest after police confiscated the fruit and vegetables he was selling from a street stall". Moreover, anti-government activists have already announced plans for a nationwide "day of anger" next week. Protest organizers want to make the world aware of their demand for a fair presidency even with the threat of the Egyptian Police looming, an institution known to have been brutal to anti-regime activists in the past. Yet, even with the poor living conditions for many youth in Egypt, where 61% of the population is under 30 and 37% of people aged 15-29 are not working and not going to school, there is still mystery whether the flames of an Egyptian man who set himself on fire near parliament on the 17th of January can ignite a Tunisian style revolution for youth in Egypt.