Another slap in the face

Yes, I’m still alive. The food poisoning in February took a lot out of me and has dissolved my energy thoroughly. Furthermore, the events in Egypt come so thick and fast that I can hardly keep up with arranging my ideas.

The latest slap in the Egyptian’s face and their revolution (this expression does not really fit any more) is that Mubarak’s ex Vice-President and ex-spy chief Omar Suleiman announced his participation in the presidential elections. This guy is responsible for the most brutal tortures and its deathly consequences, yet he does neither get accused nor disqualified. Why? Because he is supported by the SCAF. And who knows maybe even by the USA…

Further presidential candidates are announced by the hour and disqualified by the court in charge for mysterious reasons. The Salafists’ presidential hopeful (the ultra conservatives – an especially “religious” one) got the chop because his mother was allegedly a US citizen (only those may become president whose parents or partners have only the Egyptian citizenship). His fans don’t want to believe that this guy lied and are experiencing a complot by the USA. El Baradei, the most famous presidential hopeful in the West, gave up by himself. Ayman Nour (a liberal) was released from prison and pardoned by the SCAF only some days ago, yet today he was disqualified with the justification that he fist had to appeal the accusations. The Muslim brothers already guarded themselves against a possible disqualification: after having stated during the past 12 months, they would not nominate a presidential hopeful, they nominated their financial manager (who was also released from prison and pardoned by the SCAF). The reaction across parties and social classes was bleak horror and they realised: even the Muslim brothers are liars. Yesterday, they added another nomination: in case that their candidate Khairat El-Shater would get disqualified, they nominated a second candidate. Months ago, they excluded one of their leaders from their organization exactly because he was running for the presidency. Amr Moussa, ex-President of the Arab League is insinuated to have family relations to Israel…. (sic!)

Everything clear? No?

Yes: there are fights going on behind the scene:

1. Salafists against Muslim brothers. The Salafists are hopping mad that the Muslim brothers nominated one, no: two candidates. This will split the Islamist’s votes. When two quarrel, the third takes the advantage: the SCAF.
2. Muslim brothers against Muslim brothers. The young members quit the party already some time ago, because they did not agree with the hierarchy and the actions of the old guards. Now, even leaders resign because they don’t agree with the nomination of a presidential hopeful and the decisions taken. Who takes the advantage here: the liberals and the SCAF.
3. Muslim brothers against SCAF. The Muslim brothers (and the Salafists) have come to power in such great number only thanks to the SCAF (no-one should say the parliamentary elections were not rigged!) There were agreements and now the Muslim brothers step out of line out of their blind greed for power. They already own almost 50% of the seats in Parliament, they want to write the constitution and now they want to provide the President? Who takes the advantage here: nobody because everybody is scared of a confrontation MB vs. SCAF and of a complete coming into power by the Muslim brothers.

At present: it’s only about the two “big” ones: Muslim brothers and SCAF. In 1954 there was a similar situation which culminated in the MB’s assassination of President Gamal Abd El Nasser because they demanded more important ministries. Consequences: Abd El Nasser let many of the Muslim brothers kill and imprison, thousands fled to exile. The Muslim brothers can’t withhold their greed. Power and money are the rulers. They are the third important economic power beside Mubarak’s friends (the old regime) and the SCAF. Why not finally size the complete power?

So what stands to reason for the SCAF to nominate their own candidate? With Omar Suleiman it is in their hands to rig the presidential elections so that he becomes President. And then?

Then Egypt goes back to where it started, or even worse. Because not only all the deaths, all the privations, all the humiliations and hopes of the past 14 months would have been in vain but the country is economically on the brink and soon people will die of hunger. Egypt could boast itself of having got rid of a dictatorship after an uproar just to establish exactly the same dictatorship again.

Even if an Islamist came to power, I would have to change the previous sentence only little: religious dictatorship like in Iran.

And where are all those liberals, the revolutionaries, the activists? The reply to this question was: they wait, because they can’t keep up in this league.

Besides, this fuss about the presidential hopefuls is ridiculous and idle. The next president does not have the least chance to resolve the country’s problems with this parliament (70% Islamists) and the SCAF as the puppet master (which both do not aim at). The constitution that has to be defined is much more important. This is another subject that I would like to couch soon.

Things will not calm down soon, there’s a huge tension over Egypt, even though the deadline for the nomination of the presidential candidates is tomorrow. I’m waiting since long for the second uproar…