With the swearing-in of President Mohamed Mursi, Egypt is set on a course for real change. After the overthrow of monarchy in 1952 and 60 years of military rule, though with popular support, the country now has its first freely elected civilian president.
It would, however, be premature to say that full democracy has come to Egypt. In the words of President Mursi at the time of taking oath on 30th June: "Today the Egyptian people have laid the foundation of a new life- absolute freedom, a genuine democracy and stability... we aspire to a better tomorrow... a new Egypt." The president could not have been more correct. The people have laid the foundation of democracy in Egypt. But they have still many miles to go and many bridges to cross. For, the Egyptian military which is still the defacto ruler of the country has shown its muscle by first dissolving the newly elected parliament and then stripping the presidency of many of its powers. The president's order restoring the parliament was also quickly set aside by the Supreme Constitutional Court. Then there is the all important task of framing a permanent constitution for the country and its approval by the people. It is yet to be seen how the military and the president go about this important task, which must have popular sanction behind it to become the fundamental law of the land.
Under the circumstances, President Mursi has first to make himself acceptable to all the quarters that matter in the country. He originally belonged to the Muslim Brotherhood with whose major support he has achieved the present success, but which, at the same time, is also a handicap for him because of the suspicions and fears that the staunch Islamic party arouses in the minds of the liberal and moderate elements of the Egyptian society which matter a lot in the country's power equilibrium. The powerful military for one does not see eye to eye with Muslim Brotherhood's aspirations with regard to the country's relations with Israel and its policy concerning the Palestinian issue. Besides, the relations between the two in the past have been far from good, to say the least.
The military generals' anxiety at Mr. Mursi's election is, therefore, understandable. That also explains why they clipped the president's powers.
President Mursi is, however, in no mood for a confrontation. He has, it seems, opted for a pragmatic approach to the situation. He has applauded the role of the military as "the shield and sword of the nation" and assured the soldiers and commanders hat he would "safeguard the institution and raise its prestige and support it with all the powers available to me so that it can be stronger." He has also distanced himself from the Brotherhood and embarked on a grand agenda of reconciliation at home and abroad .He lost no time in reassuring the military generals as well as a restless US Secretary of State that the new Egypt will honor its international treaties, an obvious reference to the Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty. Then, appropriately enough, he paid a visit, his first one to a foreign country, to Saudi Arabia to meet King Abdullah. Next he went to Ethiopia with whom Egypt's relations had come under tension recently over sharing of Nile waters .His next most important meeting was with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, after which he was likely to meet the Hamas leaders of Gaza. He has already reiterated his continued support for the legitimate rights of the Palestinians.
President Mursi's strategy seems to be to have the civilian democratic set up recognized by removing the fears and misgivings about the new leadership and especially about their Islamist background. We wish President Mohamed Mursi success in leading his country to real democracy and bringing peace to the region.
