What a mess

The constitutional court has decided today that the law regarding the parliamentary elections is unconstitutional. That means that the parliament that was elected in November last year has to be dissolved.

Nevertheless, all laws issued by the (invalid) parliament are valid. Same is so-called disenfranchement law that excluded remnants of the old regime from the right to be elected as president.

Yet exactly this law has been declared unlawful by the constitutional court – and so Ahmed Shafiq has been given the go-ahead.

What a mess! Since February 2011, Egypt is without valid constitution – there are only transitional provisions – and without legal parliament. The constituent assembly has fallen apart because the Islamists wanted to decide over the constitution. A new constituent assembly that has been established under pressure by the SCAF some days ago is also about to fall apart.

The transitional provisions give legislative power to the SCAF. The government that was appointed by the SCAF is in fact powerless and now there is even green light for a remnant of the old regime and a military faithful  to become the next president.

As by a miracle all the power is again concentrated with the SCAF! Well scored, smartly orchestrated! Short before reaching their goals, the Islamists have been whisked off with a simple gesture.

But: what comes next? Will the presidential run-offs be postponed? Will the constitution be written before the run-offs? Will parliament elections be repeated before or after? Or is neither of those necessary at all?

The military is again empowered to arrest civilians since yesterday – regardless of the abolition of the martial law. These are all signs for a clear strategy: the status quo before the 25 January 2011 is re-established with all power. I stress: with all power.

I never seriously believed in the Islamists reaching their goals – the SCAF would never allow that. They don’t allow any other power at all. I am still convinced that there will be more surprises like the one today. And again I ask myself: why is there now coup within the military??

However, I am very concerned about the activists. The accounts about the sexual assaults on women some days ago in Tahrir give an idea how things might develop.

What a mess – at first sight. Yet the closer one looks, the better one sees: there are reason and intentions behind.

Egypt is not ready for democracy – because the SCAF does not allow it.