International media reported that the turnout was disastrously low in the general election in Egypt held on Tuesday despite the adoption of desperate measures by military authorities. Official newspaper reported that some 37 percent voters’ participated but the other sources, including the sole opposition candidate, said it was closer to 15 percent. The relentless propaganda of overwhelming support from an adoring population by the regime of former army chief General Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi has been proved false. Political experts opined, the military regime might stay long in Egypt through Sisi, but ultimately democracy is the loser.
A survey in Egypt conducted by the Pew Research Center confirmed that the low turnout reflected more than apathy or hot weather. It showed, 72 percent of Egyptians were dissatisfied with the direction of the country. Despite massive repression, the arrest of thousands of its members and a vicious media propaganda, almost 40 percent still were willing to tell Pew’s pollsters they have a positive view of the Muslim Brotherhood and former President Mohamed Morsi.
Mohamed Morsi, the first democratically elected president of Egypt had been ousted from office just over a year into his presidency. Egypt’s powerful military stepped in July last year. Morsi might have done some highhanded mistakes; even then, he was the elected president under a democratic process. True to say that, Morsi inherited a huge public debt and a legacy of 30 years of corruption under President Hosni Mubarak. Dissatisfaction with economic conditions in the country was then already high. Moreover, Morsi took a number of steps that proved unpopular with certain sectors of Egyptian society. Nonetheless, military take-over, the suspension of democracy, persecution (and prosecution of the democratic leaders) is not a good sign at all.
We hold the view that no democracy will ever prosper without equal participation of diverse groups. As for democracy, Mr. Sisi must show that he has no intention of being anything other than a military strongman even more repressive than Hosni Mubarak. Here, we can recall an interview of Morsi with CNN during his election campaign that his party sought “an executive branch that represents the people’s true will and implement their public interests.” Morsi said, “There is no such thing called an Islamic democracy. There is democracy only. … The people are the source of authority.”
What is happening now in Egypt, as it appears, is that the country is at the triggers of a Western geo-political game. With a silent assurance from some Western democratic powers, Sisi arranged a mockery of voterless election as an eye-wash to ensure his smooth way to Presidency. The democratic Western world can’t be quiet when such a demolition of democracy due to military anarchy or activism is occurring in Egypt as they claim themselves the sole distributor of democracy, human rights or freedom around the world. The whole world should hear to the people’s voice in Egypt. The democratic revolution in some Arab countries which was previously termed as the Arab Spring is now undergoing a phase of Arab Summer. We urge, let it not be an Arab Winter. It is evident that at the end of the day Gen Sisi failed to read the public mind – he holds no real democratic verdict.
