Rising Hegemon
Turnout, only 46 percent in the first round of the presidential vote, appeared to electoral officials to have been no higher for the decisive head-to-head contest. Many of the 50 million eligible voters were dismayed by an unpalatable choice between a man seen as an heir to Mubarak and the nominee of a religious party committed to reversing liberal social traditions. Some cast a ballot against both men in protest.
I'm sure that match up really meets the expectations of the beginning of the year. Have a revolution only to end up with James G. Blaine vs. John W Davis.
[cross-posted at Firedoglake]
3 comments:
Or to end up with a military coup.
It looks like the fix was in unless Egyptians chose someone the generals could accept. That was Mubarak’s last prime minister Shafiq. He lost. So now, no Parliament, a powerless figurehead president, and nothing but a promise of new elections after the military rewrites the constitution themselves.
Poor Egypt. So far from Allah, so close to Israel.
Well, the military brass has been using government to prop up their own businesses and to siphon off foreign military aid for so long that it's no surprise that the military wasn't going to give up that gravy train, not without a fight, anyway.
It's been quite a steep learning curve for the protesters. Had they gotten the courts on their side, some of this might not have come to pass (easier said than done, I admit, after thirty years of Mubarak hand-picking his government stooges).
still in search of none of the above.
Post a Comment