Democracy is much more than elections
Islamists, judging from their behaviour, don't want democracy for Egypt; they want to seize power, writes Azmi Ashour
Over the past few months, Islamists groups, including the Muslim Brotherhood and the Salafis, have opposed liberals, seculars, and everyone who spoke on behalf of a civil state in this country.
Their first action, after the revolution, was to reject a most-reasonable demand to write the constitution ahead of elections. This was a major demand, shared by many parties and groups wishing to make sure that everyone in this country would have an equal say in its future.
Then they scoffed at the idea of a roadmap for future political work, again alienating numerous political groups.
Elections are not a goal in itself; this is what the Islamists tend to forget. Elections are but a means to create a parliament that truly represents the people. The way in which the elections are conducted, the guarantees and the legal and institutional framework in place, are quite vital.
We've always had elections in this country, and saw what happened. For the past four decades we've had elections, and for four decades these elections were rigged on behalf of the ruling party. So what matters is not having elections, but having the right kind of elections. Do we really want to create a situation in which one political group or another would be allowed to dominate the scene at the expense of all others?
We need to put in place the right kind of constitution. We need to create institutions that guarantee fair play for all. The Islamists, who were repressed by the National Democratic Party, should be aware of that. They should be the ones to call for a constitutional framework that offers justice to all. Instead, they are wielding religion to bully their opponents.
Why do they do that? Is it because they wish to have a majority in the parliament? Is it because they want to dominate the committee that will write the constitution?
Do the Islamists want to play fair? Or do they want to reproduce of the dictatorship of the former ruling party, when those in power manipulated the law to stay longer in power?
The election bid of the Islamists has not been reassuring so far. They use religious events to campaign, they use charity in a cynical manner, and they generally presented politics as if it were a choice between piety and godlessness.
The reason the Islamists urged the holding of "elections first" is that they wished to have an edge on the liberal and secular parties, which are just beginning to operate. Their objection to constitutional guarantees was motivated by disregard for true democracy.
The Islamists do not wish for the country to have proper institutions. For them, elections are just a chance to seize power, and then mould the country after their own image. The fact that democracy is a much bigger thing than elections is not one they wish to be reminded of.
The Islamists seem to forget that justice is an accumulative process, not just a mantra to invoke for short-term goals. They also forget that the revolution we've just had was not about religion, but about freedom, rights, fairness, and all the rest of it.
The writer is managing editor of the quarterly journal Al-Demoqrateya published by Al-Ahram
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