Copeland: Can the Egyptian revolution be counted a success while the Armed Forces remain in power?
- Copeland: Syria is on the brink of civil war. Democracy is being undermined in Egypt. Is the Arab Spring over?
- Copeland: Syria is on the brink of civil war. Democracy is being undermined in Egypt. Is the Arab Spring over?
- Jones: What is the biggest lesson Canada can take from its experience in Afghanistan?
No.
The terminology here is important. The Egyptian uprising early this year succeeded in the removal the president and a few of his ministers, but it was a far cry from revolution. The underlying political, economic and social order remains in place. One has only to compare the results in Egypt to the events which transformed Russia in 1917, China in 1949, or Cuba in 1959 to appreciate the distinction.
The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, chaired by Field Marshall Tantawi, a Mubarek appointee, effectively co-opted the process in a palace coup. They have suspended parliament and the constitution, but have largely failed to deliver on a comprehensive package of promised reforms.
Unless and until the junta cedes power through the conduct of free and fair elections, the hopes and dreams of the Egyptian people will remain unrealized.
