Honest elections?

Yesterday and today, Egyptians may decide between the two worst representatives to become the next president: either an Islamic state whose representatives are liars or back to the old dictatorship. Of course, Shafiq does not communicate the latter one but promises democracy and no way back to the old system.

People are torn within. Whom should they vote for? Which one is the lesser of the two evils? (It’s not about who is the better one out of the two!). Therefore, many Egyptians don’t vote at all or submit a void ballot, some even write on it: “down with the military” and “down with the Muslim brothers”.

The rigging continues cheerfully. Some ballots have been discovered that were already ticked for Mohamed Mursi. Officially, it was due to a “printing mistake” and the ballots were replaced.

The funniest of all news however is the following: allegedly, pens with ink to get invisible after a while were used in some polling stations! Egyptians really do have plenty of fantasy – whether this news is correct or a mere hoax.

The Muslim brothers have challenged the constitutional court’s decision according to which the parliament is unconstitutional. The SCAF has given order for the parliament’s dissolution and soldiers are deployed at the entrances of the parliament house in order to deny ministers to get in.

These elections aren’t honest as well. But this does not really matter. Maybe they are the last elections for a long time. In discussions people tell me, that with the next elections after four years, everything would be better. But I doubt that there will be a “next time” at all. The play “democracy for Egypt” is over for the time being, participants are put away, the rules of the game are torn and the play board is drowned in the Nile. Now, the remains are getting cleaned up and then daily routine continues as before 25 January 2011.

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.