Celebrations over the enforced exit of President Hosni Mubarak are over. The people’s revolution was successful . . . or was it?
Some political analysts conclude that, thus far, changes have been cosmetic. Nothing has been achieved apart from the departure of one man and his powerful family, they say. It’s true that some of the more hated ex-ministers are being investigated for corruption and the constitution has been dumped along with the current Parliament. It’s true that the military rulers have promised the lifting of emergency law and transition to real democracy but they seem unable to assure the youth movement of their sincerity. This is why a group of hard-core revolutionaries are determined to stay in Liberation Square until all their demands are met—release of political prisoners and prosecution of those behind the killing of the martyrs—provoking tense confrontations with military police trying to move them out.
It’s my feeling that both sides need to apply some lateral thinking to effect this historical transformation in the best possible way.
In the first place, the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces needs a friendly face, an accomplished PR person able to talk to the people in a way they can understand. After all they’ve been through, the last thing they want is a stiff general barking official communiqués. The military has also made a terrible error in reinstating a government handpicked by Mubarak as a caretaker until elections can take place. Those people, however honest they may or may not be, are now tainted in everyone’s eyes for supporting the regime against the will of the people.
Moreover, the military has yet to clarify what role, if any, is still held by former Intelligence chief/Vice President Omar Suleiman. He lost his credibility as a reformer when he defended emergency law and said Egyptians weren’t ready for democracy. There is a feeling that he lurks in the background pulling strings. There are also concerns that the army’s head honcho Mohamed Hussein Tantawi is a staunch member of the old guard still loyal to everything Hosni Mubarak stood for during his 30 years in power. The old guard should step out of the limelight.
In short, the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces needs to capitalize on the people’s trust—perhaps even adoration—by not only serving them faithfully but also making sure they are seen to do so. Transparency may be alien to the institution but they must adapt to their new political leadership role as quickly as they can before they lose the confidence of the street.
I understand from news reports this morning (Sunday) that some employees of State Television are now protesting outside the Ministry of Information as they have received instructions to broadcast pro-government propaganda. People have seen through the propaganda, even state-owned newspapers are hailing the revolution. Such moves to manipulate public opinion simply won’t work any longer and it’s time the military and the caretaker Cabinet realized that.
As for the revolutionaries, in my opinion, they need to give the military time to implement change. No one can produce democracy like a rabbit out of a hat and the country must return to business as usual swiftly to save an already devastated economy. If the economy is ground down for much longer, people’s aspirations concerning higher wages and jobs will be quashed. While I understand their desire to keep up the pressure on the military, hanging out in the square will only produce friction as well as an hitherto absent “us against them” atmosphere.
More than that, they risk turning Tahrir Square into a sort of Hyde Park Speaker’s Corner or as some of the British dailies are dubbing Glastonbury-on-the-Nile, in reference to a popular annual music and performing arts festival. As long as they stay, they will lose their impact; they will become part of the scenery like the Museum or the Pyramids. Curious tourists—when they come back—will take their photographs and their kids will get the faces painted in the colors of the Egyptian flag. They will also be ignored by the international media as a semi-permanent fixture and when the cameras go, so will the impact of their message. Most crucially, they will eventually lose the support of the greater public. At least 40 percent of Egyptians live from hand to mouth. They will eventually be forced to decide between the demands of the protesters and satisfying the hunger of their children.
Instead of creating a mini-state within the square, the revolutionaries should appoint a charismatic leader overseeing a committee that can liaise with the military on equal terms. Wael Ghonim springs to mind but it appears he’s set on returning to his job with Google. An alternative is Ahmed Maher co-founder of the April 6 movement who strategized the revolution with the assistance of a young Serbian behind the overthrow of Slobodan Milosevic.
Such committee should give the Supreme Council a deadline to lift emergency law, ensure free speech and public assembly and facilitate free and fair elections. A guaranteed timetable for those changes would be immediately reassuring. In case such deadline is not met, the demonstrators still hold a strong card. The square is going nowhere; they can always go back in force.
Lastly, I heard today that hundreds of disgruntled policemen have been demonstrating outside the Ministry of Interior and firing into the air. It appears, too, that one group entered the square waving flags in an attempt to ingratiate themselves with the protesters only to be booed and pushed out. The police are hated for their brutality and corruption, but however people feel, there is no getting away from it, every country needs law and order.
Like the military, the police need a PR person who should apologize for past mistakes and promise to follow a new policy of respect. They should also be issued with new uniforms and given clear direction to quit extorting money from ordinary citizens and rounding up passersby for no reason other than they don’t like their faces.
The most important commodity now for everyone in Egypt is patience. The military needs to evolve and understand the demands of its new role. The revolutionaries need to give the country breathing space to get back on its feet. And opposition parties need to join hands to create a viable secular party. They should all coalesce behind such well-known figures as Mohammed El-Baradei, Amr Moussa, Ayman Nour—and perhaps even businessman like Naguib Suwaris or intellectuals such as Nobel Laureate Ahmed Zewail—to keep the reconstituted NDP and the Muslim Brotherhood at bay.
One thing is sure. Egypt stands at a crossroads. The ruling classes and the people hold their country’s future in their hands. As someone who loves Egypt, I can only pray that this seedling of a new nation is nurtured rather than crushed.
Linda S. Heard is a British specialist writer on Middle East affairs. She welcomes feedback and can be contacted by email at heardonthegrapevines@yahoo.co.uk.
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Why Egypt needs a new face
Posted on February 16, 2011 by Linda S. Heard
Celebrations over the enforced exit of President Hosni Mubarak are over. The people’s revolution was successful . . . or was it?
Some political analysts conclude that, thus far, changes have been cosmetic. Nothing has been achieved apart from the departure of one man and his powerful family, they say. It’s true that some of the more hated ex-ministers are being investigated for corruption and the constitution has been dumped along with the current Parliament. It’s true that the military rulers have promised the lifting of emergency law and transition to real democracy but they seem unable to assure the youth movement of their sincerity. This is why a group of hard-core revolutionaries are determined to stay in Liberation Square until all their demands are met—release of political prisoners and prosecution of those behind the killing of the martyrs—provoking tense confrontations with military police trying to move them out.
It’s my feeling that both sides need to apply some lateral thinking to effect this historical transformation in the best possible way.
In the first place, the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces needs a friendly face, an accomplished PR person able to talk to the people in a way they can understand. After all they’ve been through, the last thing they want is a stiff general barking official communiqués. The military has also made a terrible error in reinstating a government handpicked by Mubarak as a caretaker until elections can take place. Those people, however honest they may or may not be, are now tainted in everyone’s eyes for supporting the regime against the will of the people.
Moreover, the military has yet to clarify what role, if any, is still held by former Intelligence chief/Vice President Omar Suleiman. He lost his credibility as a reformer when he defended emergency law and said Egyptians weren’t ready for democracy. There is a feeling that he lurks in the background pulling strings. There are also concerns that the army’s head honcho Mohamed Hussein Tantawi is a staunch member of the old guard still loyal to everything Hosni Mubarak stood for during his 30 years in power. The old guard should step out of the limelight.
In short, the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces needs to capitalize on the people’s trust—perhaps even adoration—by not only serving them faithfully but also making sure they are seen to do so. Transparency may be alien to the institution but they must adapt to their new political leadership role as quickly as they can before they lose the confidence of the street.
I understand from news reports this morning (Sunday) that some employees of State Television are now protesting outside the Ministry of Information as they have received instructions to broadcast pro-government propaganda. People have seen through the propaganda, even state-owned newspapers are hailing the revolution. Such moves to manipulate public opinion simply won’t work any longer and it’s time the military and the caretaker Cabinet realized that.
As for the revolutionaries, in my opinion, they need to give the military time to implement change. No one can produce democracy like a rabbit out of a hat and the country must return to business as usual swiftly to save an already devastated economy. If the economy is ground down for much longer, people’s aspirations concerning higher wages and jobs will be quashed. While I understand their desire to keep up the pressure on the military, hanging out in the square will only produce friction as well as an hitherto absent “us against them” atmosphere.
More than that, they risk turning Tahrir Square into a sort of Hyde Park Speaker’s Corner or as some of the British dailies are dubbing Glastonbury-on-the-Nile, in reference to a popular annual music and performing arts festival. As long as they stay, they will lose their impact; they will become part of the scenery like the Museum or the Pyramids. Curious tourists—when they come back—will take their photographs and their kids will get the faces painted in the colors of the Egyptian flag. They will also be ignored by the international media as a semi-permanent fixture and when the cameras go, so will the impact of their message. Most crucially, they will eventually lose the support of the greater public. At least 40 percent of Egyptians live from hand to mouth. They will eventually be forced to decide between the demands of the protesters and satisfying the hunger of their children.
Instead of creating a mini-state within the square, the revolutionaries should appoint a charismatic leader overseeing a committee that can liaise with the military on equal terms. Wael Ghonim springs to mind but it appears he’s set on returning to his job with Google. An alternative is Ahmed Maher co-founder of the April 6 movement who strategized the revolution with the assistance of a young Serbian behind the overthrow of Slobodan Milosevic.
Such committee should give the Supreme Council a deadline to lift emergency law, ensure free speech and public assembly and facilitate free and fair elections. A guaranteed timetable for those changes would be immediately reassuring. In case such deadline is not met, the demonstrators still hold a strong card. The square is going nowhere; they can always go back in force.
Lastly, I heard today that hundreds of disgruntled policemen have been demonstrating outside the Ministry of Interior and firing into the air. It appears, too, that one group entered the square waving flags in an attempt to ingratiate themselves with the protesters only to be booed and pushed out. The police are hated for their brutality and corruption, but however people feel, there is no getting away from it, every country needs law and order.
Like the military, the police need a PR person who should apologize for past mistakes and promise to follow a new policy of respect. They should also be issued with new uniforms and given clear direction to quit extorting money from ordinary citizens and rounding up passersby for no reason other than they don’t like their faces.
The most important commodity now for everyone in Egypt is patience. The military needs to evolve and understand the demands of its new role. The revolutionaries need to give the country breathing space to get back on its feet. And opposition parties need to join hands to create a viable secular party. They should all coalesce behind such well-known figures as Mohammed El-Baradei, Amr Moussa, Ayman Nour—and perhaps even businessman like Naguib Suwaris or intellectuals such as Nobel Laureate Ahmed Zewail—to keep the reconstituted NDP and the Muslim Brotherhood at bay.
One thing is sure. Egypt stands at a crossroads. The ruling classes and the people hold their country’s future in their hands. As someone who loves Egypt, I can only pray that this seedling of a new nation is nurtured rather than crushed.
Linda S. Heard is a British specialist writer on Middle East affairs. She welcomes feedback and can be contacted by email at heardonthegrapevines@yahoo.co.uk.