The identity of the next Egyptian president will only be revealed in a few days, but already it is possible to point to one important outcome of the second and decisive round of elections: The Egyptian masses did not gather in the streets to demonstrate that "their revolution was stolen." They also didn't go out to protest that one of ousted President Hosni Mubarak's close associates, who served in his last government, Ahmed Shafiq, is one of the candidates. They thronged to the polls to vote and have an influence, and thus legitimized the election process, which is likely to crown Shafiq as the president of Egypt. You will recall that last Thursday the Egyptian Constitutional Court hurled a political bomb. It approved that Shafiq can run in the presidential elections, and at the same time, negated the parliamentary elections that gave a distinct majority to the Muslim Brotherhood. In this manner, it granted Shafiq and his associates permission to maintain the status quo in Egypt and to remain unchanged in their struggle against the Islamic movements that want to "paint Egypt Islamic." Following the court's verdicts, all eyes turned to Tahrir Square. Would millions gather to protest the decision, as happened a number of times throughout last year? But it turned out that the Egyptian masses prefer to go to the polls, and not Tahrir Square. It also turned out that Islamic movement supporters were deterred, in the moment of truth, from openly competing against state institutions and the military, preferring to surrender. But the battle over Egypt is far from over. Polls grant Muslim Brotherhood candidate Mohamed Morsi an advantage. If he is elected, Morsi will begin a struggle against the army over who really controls the country, and especially who makes the decisions on questions of foreign policy and security. In contrast, a Shafiq win means that the Egyptian street is determined to bring an end to the revolution and return Egyptian life back to its normal patterns. Another possible interpretation of a Shafiq victory could be state apparatus and army activity behind the scenes, though with broad public backing, to bring victory to the candidate that is most comfortable to them. Whatever the outcome, the elections are not the end of the story. It is just another stage on Egypt's long road to stability, with a strong central regime enjoying legitimacy and public support.
Tahrir Square remains empty
מערכת ישראל היום
מערכת "ישראל היום“ מפיקה ומעדכנת תכנים חדשותיים, מבזקים ופרשנויות לאורך כל שעות היממה. התוכן נערך בקפדנות, נבדק עובדתית ומוגש לציבור מתוך האמונה שהקוראים ראויים לעיתונות טובה יותר - אמינה, אובייקטיבית ועניינית.
