Long road to democracy
It's longer than the bridge across Tahrir Square
In a bid to mollify the thousands of protesters who have once again returned to Tahrir Square, this time demanding Government and police officials accused of resorting to violent means to put down dissent during the last days of the Hosni Mubarak regime be swiftly punished, Egypt's transitional military Government announced last week that nearly 700 officers would be relieved from their professional duties. While some would be removed for firing on and killing protesters during the 18-day-long agitation that led to the ouster of President Hosni Mubarak, others would lose their jobs for being involved in corruption. Such largescale 'cleansing' of Egypt's powerful security apparatus is no doubt a huge concession by the ruling military.
And that is not all. This past week, the Supreme Council of Armed Forces also gave into another popular demand when it announced that elections, that had earlier been scheduled for September, would be postponed to either October or November so as to give more time to the country's new political parties as they prepare themselves to compete against the Muslim Brotherhood and other similarly well-organised Islamist groups. This was preceded by the resignation of Deputy Prime Minister Yahya al-Gamal because protesters perceived him to be too close to Mr Mubarak's business associates. Earlier, the former Prime Minister and several former Ministers with loyalities to the previous regime were convicted on charges of corruption and fraud. Clearly, the military council is doing its share to deliver to the people what was promised to them: Peace, freedom and democracy.
But it is also imperative for the people to realise that Cairo cannot become the seat of the perfectly functioning democratic Government in a matter of months. Today, the average Egyptian is trying to compress into a space of a few months the complex processes of configuring governance models and establishing democratic institutions that other countries have taken years and decades to achieve. Look at Nepal, for example: It has been more than five years since that country's monarchy made way for parliamentary democracy but its elected Constituent Assembly is still struggling to write up its Constitution.
But it is also imperative for the people to realise that Cairo cannot become the seat of the perfectly functioning democratic Government in a matter of months. Today, the average Egyptian is trying to compress into a space of a few months the complex processes of configuring governance models and establishing democratic institutions that other countries have taken years and decades to achieve. Look at Nepal, for example: It has been more than five years since that country's monarchy made way for parliamentary democracy but its elected Constituent Assembly is still struggling to write up its Constitution.
Understandably after years of autocratic rule, Egyptians are now impatient for democracy and are clearly under the impression that if they camp out long enough at Tahrir Square all their troubles will come to an end. This mindset needs to change. Egypt needs to give its leaders, both the ruling military today and the representatives it will elect later this year, adequate time and space to steer the country towards stable democratic rule while citizens themselves keep their side of the deal. This means they need to get out of Tahrir Square and get back to work.
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