The Uncertain Faith of Egypt's First Democratically Elected President
After the immense eruption of public protests that began in Tunisia in early 2011 before gaining ever more momentum in Egypt and then much of the Arab World, things were in a state of uncertain struggle among opposing sides. In Cairo, the protesters wanted a major governmental change that would free itself from the decades long autocracy held together by Hosni Mubarak.
His hold on power largely resulted from the large state military force that for generations had staunchly stood in support of the country's dictator. Likewise, the Supreme Court of Armed Forces Judiciary Committee had been in coalition with Mubarak's rule and his military force. So when the protests waged, it was no question that the struggle for governmental change was not only a call to depose Mubarak but a need to reshape the constitutional structure of the legislative, judicial and other major facets of Egypt's political ruling bodies. Thus the protests waged for more than a month and then subsided upon the removal of Mubarak from power.
After months of discussion and jostling among major Egyptian figures some exiled, repressed, or recently active for who might be likely contenders to succeeded Mubarak, popular elections were eventually held. Complications ensued on vetting the specific candidates especially as a result of the Judiciary Committee's obstruction of anyone whom they felt might be a threat to their decades long system of empowerment. Nonetheless, elections occurred and the popularly elected nominee was Muhammad Morsi who had long been an opponent to the former Mubarak regime.
A source of contention for some Egyptians but mostly from within the Supreme Court of Armed Forces was that Morsi had once aligned with the Muslim Brotherhood party, an eighty year old political force who had in the past tended towards some terrorism for achieving political gain. The party had been outlawed under former dictatorship but had for years the Brotherhood had shown transition towards a much less threatening of a movement that simply supported restoration of a peaceful Muslim led party seeking balance of power and a more prosperous future for it's citizens.
Morsi, having somewhat distanced himself from any hardline allegiance with the Brotherhood in recent years appeared to stand more so as a bridge between that of his former party and the younger, more liberal student movement who largely instigated the protests around Cairo during the Arab Spring.
Once he was a elected into office he quickly demonstrated what seemed to be very good intentions for developing a democratic style of government with balance of power and international cooperation. But he struggled in attempting to maneuver the daunting landscape of a newly imposed democratic infancy with parliamentary elections, appointment of cabinet officials, constitutional rewrites while his efforts were stymied by the unrelentless challenges of the Supreme Court of Armed Forces.
Then in July 2013, a rather unexpected military overthrow took hold in what soon became a coup that forced the capture of Morsi and the subsequent self-appointment of General Fatah al-Sisi as president.
Since then, Morsi has been imprisoned while al-Sisi's command has reasserted a military run state that seems to however have garnered some national support from a likely disillusioned and protest weary populace.
On May 16, 2015, major news headlines read that Morsi is being sentenced to death along with 100 other political prisoners by the Supreme Court of Armed Judiciary Forces. This appears to be nothing short of the complete anti-thesis for which those hundreds of thousands of protesters sought to drastically change for the Egyptian government and their future as an aspiring society intent upon justice, opportunity and tolerance. The verdict has not yet been confirmed and likely won't be known until early July. But the United States if it wants to have any interest in foreign relations with Egypt either for diplomatic or regional security should evaluate this latest wrong doing for a country who once showed promise in it's eagerness for ideological change.
Related Articles:
The Al-Sisi Military Coup and Overthrow of Muhamad Morsi - July 19, 2013
High Court Orders Parliment to be disolved before Official Elections- June 7, 2012
President Morsi Orders Parliment to Resume Office- July 9, 2012
The Appointment of a Prime Minister in Egypt- July 30, 2012
Egypt's President Visits the US- September 23, 2012