One of
the first Idioms that I had learned during my school days was “ one
swallow doesn't make a summer,” which is a nice way of saying that
early signs are sometimes misleading. I am very much reminded of this
saying, after reading the latest news about Egypt, where new
democratically elected Islamist president Morsi, has unilaterally
decreed greater authorities for himself. With this decree, he has
effectively neutralized a judiciary system that was emerging as a
real challenge for him. The supposed objective of this decree,
surprisingly is cleansing state institutions and destroying the
infrastructure of the old regime of Hosni Mubarak(?).
Nobel
laureate and former UN atomic energy agency chief El Baradei has
reacted sharply to this new development. He says, "Morsi today
usurped all state powers and appointed himself Egypt's new pharaoh. A
major blow to the revolution that could have dire consequences."
There have been many other sharp reactions. The head of the
influential Judge's Club, Ahmed al-Zind, announced that the judges
would hold an emergency meeting on Saturday to decide on their next
step, promising actions. one judge at Egypt's State Council says,
"As a judge, I feel paralysed. " Sameh Ashour, head of the
Lawyers syndicate says, "This is a coup against legitimacy... We
are calling on all Egyptians to protest in all of Egypt's squares on
Friday.” Opposition forces denounced the presidential declaration
as a "coup" and called for nationwide protests on Friday.
However a presidential spokesman Yasser Ali clarifies that "The
president can issue any decision or measure to protect the
revolution, "The constitutional declarations, decisions and laws
issued by the president are final and not subject to appeal."
The
two year old uprising in Egypt, known as Arab spring, was essentially
against the tyrannical rule of military dictator Hosni Mubarak and
gave rise to a pro-democracy movement that toppled the long-time
dictator. An interim Government formed by the military, unwilling to
give up power, finally bowed to people's wishes and conducted general
elections, in which Morsi's conservative Islamist party “ Muslim
Brotherhood” won and elected him as new president of Egypt.
Just
last week, president Morsi had brokered a peace deal between Israel
and Gaza's Hamas rulers and had received lavish praise from American
president and Secretary of State. But within days he has come out
with a nasty decree that says that all decisions he has made since
taking office in June and until a new constitution is adopted and a
new parliament is elected cannot be appealed in court or by any other
authority. The courts are also barred from dissolving the assembly
writing the new constitution.
With
this development, it sadly becomes clear, that all talk of Arab
spring, were just hyped wishes of western media and in reality we
are back to winter of Muslim theocratic oppression with just a change
of the ruler.
This
chain of events from Egypt, highlights the dangers and perils that a
society would face, when embarking on a path of democratic rule. Due
to great foresight of the founding fathers of the Indian
constitution, Indian democracy was put on solid foundation. Yet there
was an attempt to impose autocratic dynastic rule with imposition of
emergency in 1975. Fortunately, the very same constitution, saved
India from the dynastic rule then.
President
Morsi obviously does not believe in democracy. The Director in
charge of Egypt at Human Rights Watch, Mr Heba Morayef, has
commented that "What's fundamentally problematic and threatens
both the rule of law and overall democratic checks and balances is
his decision to give his decrees immunity from the judiciary until
the constitution is passed."
After
the presidential decree, hundreds of demonstrators held a day of
protests near “Arab spring famed” Tahrir Square, against Morsi
and the Brotherhood. To counter this, Brotherhood supporters are
massing outside the Supreme Court building and offices of the
prosecutor general to support President Morsi.
An
icon of the anti-Mubarak uprising, Wael Ghonim, rejects president's
decree and says that president could have protected the revolution
without concentrating so much power in his hands. He rightly adds
"The revolution was not staged in search for a benign dictator,
there is a difference between revolutionary decisions and dictatorial
decisions. God is the only one whose decisions are not questioned."
The
world has to watch in coming days, the way Egypt goes, in future.
Would it follow the often trodden path of many dictators of the
world, ultimately leading to their obliteration or Arab spring green
shoots emerge again. But as on today, it appears that the one swallow
that showed up, did not make the summer.
24
November 2012
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