RICHMOND, North Yorkshire, UK – From an outsider’s point of view, Egypt seems to be a country that can’t decide.
Almost a year since Egypt’s first democratically elected president came into power, Egyptians have gone back to Tahrir Square, among other locations, to protest once again. I see that many of President Mohamed Morsi’s promises weren’t met, but it was the people’s choice to elect him. So we are back to square one: Tahrir Square.
The fact is, a president who refused to talk to his people about why the current strategy isn’t working is a bad one. The whole point of a democratic government is to represent the people and act on issues that matter to them, whether it’s hard for the politicians or not.
If that doesn’t happen, it does make sense to make your view heard.
So what’s to stop this happening again in another year’s time? Real change takes time, but what the people of Egypt need to see now is a guarantee that important issues will be dealt with in the proper manner.
Whether that starts in the first 100 days or further in the future, the incoming government must take action.
Especially in countries such as Egypt, governments need to be held to account for the promises they both make and break – what we in the UK call U-turns.
A government that turns on its citizens just for voicing their opinions can’t be trusted. So while I’m on the fence as to whether Egypt’s president should have been deposed, based on trust, it’s pretty conclusive.
To say that a leader should follow every order the revolution gives would be ridiculous, but if a leader doesn’t listen to his people, there will be trouble. Before anything, a leader’s job is to act in the interest of their people, not to act in the interest of their own political party or religion.
The government’s job in Egypt is to heal a country that is still recovering from a dictatorship and put in place rules to make it a more fair and democratic nation.
These were the promises that Morsi failed rather miserably on.
The majority seem to be happy with the interim government, but when it comes to writing the new constitution, it has to involve the people.
If not, the army could grant itself more powers, leading to further unrest.
I can’t help thinking that the same thing that happened to Morsi could happen in a year or two to the next leader.
It remains to be seen when there will be fresh elections, but to progress further, the army needs to involve the people of Egypt at almost every stage, paving the way for what will, hopefully, be a brighter future.
Robert Mooney is a Reporter for Youth Journalism International.
