Monday, January 31, 2011

EGYPT: THE SEA FOR CHANGE IS RISING

Clearly, Egyptians want political change; the unprecedented and sustained demonstrations by Egyptians in the face of President Mubarak's refusal to step down demonstrate that point. And it appears that Mubarak's ouster is the bottom line of the protestors, if such a collection of diverse citizens can be said to have a collective will. Certainly, reporting and anecdotal evidence appears to point to that general consensus among the protesters.

Unfortunately, the American press - as far as I can see - has not reported if the Egyptian Constitution addresses the issue of succession to the presidency between elections, the possibility of interim elections and any existing measures to safeguard the legitimacy of the electoral process. Neither have I heard these issues discussed on NPR, PBS or Network news. A cursory search of the internet has not turned up information on these topics, although Egyptian specialists in politics and foreign affairs probably know the answers.

As we wait for the million man march tomorrow in Cairo, we can pray that the event is peaceful and that the Egyptian Army will live up to its word not to fire against peaceful protestors.

In the meantime, it would be helpful if the press could answer Americans' questions about the political process in Egypt. Sphere: Related Content