Empty hands of Egypt’s young revolutionaries

TEHRAN, Dec. 29 (MNA) -- The current crisis in Egypt is directly related to the country’s general political and economic situation. Nearly one year since the fall of dictator Hosni Mubarak, three main blocs of society are competing with each other to acquire the strongest say in the country’s political system. The military is expected to create a balance of power between the various groups in Egyptian society and facilitate the process of transition to a democratic system. However, the ruling military council has gone beyond its mandate over the past few months, raising concern that the generals may interfere in the future government. The generals’ continuous calls for a new constitution have raised questions about the impartiality of the military in the current political chaos. On the other hand, the members of the junta are seriously concerned about the potential diminishment of their position in the future government. The generals have also warned that they will never allow the Islamist parties to acquire total control of the future government. This biased approach is exactly in line with the policies of the United States and Israel, which are trying to turn the clock back to the Mubarak era, a time when they benefited greatly from the fact that the Muslim parties had an extremely limited role in government. The Islamists are the second heavyweights in the current political scenario. The Islamist parties were some of the last groups to join the revolution, but they are currently regarded as the leading force in Egyptian political equations. The powerful Salafist Nour Party, which gained a significant number of votes in the parliamentary elections, did not play a major role in directing the popular demonstrations during the revolution. The Muslim Brotherhood is in first place so far in the ongoing elections, but they have been accused of making secret deals with the military to facilitate their accession to power. The secular groups, especially those supported by the young protesters in Cairo’s Tahrir Square, have attracted fewer votes, despite the significant role they played in the revolution. Thus, the young protesters feel that their revolution has been hijacked by the military and the Islamist groups. The recent unrest in Cairo and other big cities could be viewed as a direct reflection of their discontent. The Egyptian people will never return to the passivity of the Mubarak era. This fact has been clearly recognized by the military council, and the generals know they can no longer resort to suppression and crackdowns to control the situation on the ground. There is only one way for them to resolve the crisis, and that is by respecting the people’s desire for change and democracy.