With less than three weeks to go before the country's landmark presidential election, Egypt's transition to democratic rule is looking as doubtful as it did under Hosni Mubarak.
Deadly clashes between security forces and protesters, an increasingly bitter battle of wills between the ruling military and Islamists, a stalemate in the drafting of a constitution, and a free-falling economy are the main features of today's Egypt.
Many believe a president who is freely and fairly elected will signal the end of Egypt's woes, but it is more likely that the bloodshed and ill will of the past year have left scars so deep they won't heal quickly or completely.
The military, for example, was hailed by protesters as the revolution's protectors last year when its generals sided with them against Mubarak's regime during the 18-day uprising. Now, the generals stand accused of torturing detainees, killing protesters - more than 100, according to most estimates - hauling at least 10,000 civilians before military tribunals and badly bungling the transition.
The generals, however, categorically deny that they have blood on their hands although video footage of their vehicles running over protesters late last year has been widely circulated on social networks. They also project themselves as the nation's most patriotic group, bragging about their "sacrifices" for the nation during times of war as well as peace, while discrediting or belittling other forces on the political scene.
On Friday, Egyptian troops blasted protesters with water cannons, tear gas and live ammunition, trying to prevent them from marching on the Defence Ministry in clashes that left one soldier dead and scores of people injured. More than 300 protesters were detained and a overnight curfew was put in place last night for the second successive night.
Last Wednesay, the generals were accused of having troops seen to be standing by and watching when armed assailants attacked several hundred supporters of a disqualified presidential hopeful camped out outside the ministry. The predawn attack on the mostly Islamist protesters left at least nine killed and dozens wounded before troops intervened.
A senior member of the ruling council later tried to counter accusations that the military was behind the turmoil so it can justify holding onto power by claiming it is needed to maintain law and order.
The generals and the Muslim Brotherhood, meanwhile, are taking their fight into the open after a period of several months when the two were widely believed to have some sort of a political understanding. Maj Gen Mohammed Al Asar, a senior member of the ruling council, laid bare the military's main concern over the Brotherhood when he told a news conference on Wednesday that the military saw no problem in the group's domination of the legislature so long as it abided by the rules of democracy and stepped aside if others win the next parliamentary election.
Gen Al Asar never mentioned the Brotherhood by name, but it was clear he was referring to it. His boss, Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi _ the country's military ruler _ has been more blunt, repeatedly saying in public comments in recent weeks that the military would not allow a single group to dominate the country. Again, he did not mention the Brotherhood by name.
It is ominous talk ahead of the presidential election contested by 13 candidates of whom about a third are Islamists.
In a thinly veiled reference to the military, the Brotherhood voiced its concerns that efforts were being made to ensure that no Islamist wins the presidency and that the disqualification of its first-choice candidate, strategist and wealthy businessman Khairat El Shater, was part of that plot. Mr El Shater has been replaced by the Brotherhood's second-choice, Mohammed Mursi, who lacks charisma and is generally viewed as a much weaker candidate.
The Brotherhood has also been talking of rigging the election if the military-backed government of Prime Minister Kamal El Ganzouri remained in office until voting day. The legislature, where the Brotherhood controls just under half of all seats, suspended its sessions for a week last Sunday to protest against what its speaker, Saad El Katatni, said was the military council's failure to heed repeated calls for the dismissal of the government.
The military, for its part, sees no point in changing the government less than a month before the presidential vote, after which it is to hand over power. Gen Al Asar, the military council's senior member, also reacted indignantly to suggestions that the military would orchestrate the rigging of the vote to ensure that a candidate of its choice wins.
The political feuding and the bloodshed on the streets do not bode well for Egypt's future, regardless of the election of a new president.
A non-Islamist president would not have the cooperation or the support of the Brotherhood and other Islamists in the legislature who, combined, control about 70 per cent of all seats. Lack of cooperation would likely slow legislation, perhaps even derailing it. An Islamist president would alarm minority Christians, liberals and leftists and push Egypt much farther along the road to a fully religious state.
Already, the Islamists, particularly the Brotherhood, have shown a tendency to seek domination or push through their own agenda regardless of the nation's greater interest. It tried to dominate the panel mandated with drafting a constitution to ensure, among other things, that the new charter gives the president less powers while according the legislature they dominate more. A court ruling disbanded the Islamist-dominated, 100-member panel and the Islamists and the military are now locked in a stalemate with the Islamists in the search for a new selection process for a more balanced panel.
foreign.desk@thenational.ae
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
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HOW TO WATCH
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A new relationship with the old country
Treaty of Friendship between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates
The United kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates; Considering that the United Arab Emirates has assumed full responsibility as a sovereign and independent State; Determined that the long-standing and traditional relations of close friendship and cooperation between their peoples shall continue; Desiring to give expression to this intention in the form of a Treaty Friendship; Have agreed as follows:
ARTICLE 1 The relations between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates shall be governed by a spirit of close friendship. In recognition of this, the Contracting Parties, conscious of their common interest in the peace and stability of the region, shall: (a) consult together on matters of mutual concern in time of need; (b) settle all their disputes by peaceful means in conformity with the provisions of the Charter of the United Nations.
ARTICLE 2 The Contracting Parties shall encourage education, scientific and cultural cooperation between the two States in accordance with arrangements to be agreed. Such arrangements shall cover among other things: (a) the promotion of mutual understanding of their respective cultures, civilisations and languages, the promotion of contacts among professional bodies, universities and cultural institutions; (c) the encouragement of technical, scientific and cultural exchanges.
ARTICLE 3 The Contracting Parties shall maintain the close relationship already existing between them in the field of trade and commerce. Representatives of the Contracting Parties shall meet from time to time to consider means by which such relations can be further developed and strengthened, including the possibility of concluding treaties or agreements on matters of mutual concern.
ARTICLE 4 This Treaty shall enter into force on today’s date and shall remain in force for a period of ten years. Unless twelve months before the expiry of the said period of ten years either Contracting Party shall have given notice to the other of its intention to terminate the Treaty, this Treaty shall remain in force thereafter until the expiry of twelve months from the date on which notice of such intention is given.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF the undersigned have signed this Treaty.
DONE in duplicate at Dubai the second day of December 1971AD, corresponding to the fifteenth day of Shawwal 1391H, in the English and Arabic languages, both texts being equally authoritative.
Signed
Geoffrey Arthur Sheikh Zayed
The Limehouse Golem
Director: Juan Carlos Medina
Cast: Olivia Cooke, Bill Nighy, Douglas Booth
Three stars
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In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
What is hepatitis?
Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver, which can lead to fibrosis (scarring), cirrhosis or liver cancer.
There are 5 main hepatitis viruses, referred to as types A, B, C, D and E.
Hepatitis C is mostly transmitted through exposure to infective blood. This can occur through blood transfusions, contaminated injections during medical procedures, and through injecting drugs. Sexual transmission is also possible, but is much less common.
People infected with hepatitis C experience few or no symptoms, meaning they can live with the virus for years without being diagnosed. This delay in treatment can increase the risk of significant liver damage.
There are an estimated 170 million carriers of Hepatitis C around the world.
The virus causes approximately 399,000 fatalities each year worldwide, according to WHO.
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
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The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
