comment on the article of Mr. Mohamed Fadel published on January 21,2014 Why did the democratic transition fail

comment

on the article of

Mr. Mohamed Fadel published on January 21,2014

Why did the democratic transition fail

https://www.bostonreview.net/forum/mohammad-fadel-what-killed-egyptian-democracy

Dear Sir,

The revolution was about much more than removing Mubarak and his son, and it was not compromised into just removing them, this was just a needed first step towards democracy.

I agree with you that the demands were pure, but so is all revolutions; historically revolutions seldom helped countries to get better democracies, in accordance with the fact that revolutions depend on adventurers, while democracies depend people with great wisdom.

In Egypt the revolution was started by educated youth demanding a sort of democracy that matches the western way of life. I have to agree with you sir about the three groups you identified in your article; but I will add that all three groups had only one intention, that is to rule Egypt. the youth armed with a lot of spirit and good intentions, and few un-matured administrative skills figured that all they had to do is gather every weekend at Tahrir square and give the government pointers. The other two groups, with administrative skills played the youth, allowing for some time to pass under a transitional government, sometimes coming to terms together, pulling some strings here and there, at the end coming to power; wrongly assuming that all they had to do is making some of the demands of the people happen; not realizing that the demands of the people, whether it was removing someone or making a new constitution or even a new ministry, are not the end product required by the people, but the end product has to be a better life for the people, this is only achieved by applying the rules of democracy as they have been written in novels, with no side paths or finesses.

I would also have to say that all the Mubarak's men that came to power after him were incompetent, as they proved to be, spending half of treasury of Egypt in transitional period, and the other half in the year that followed with an incompetent elected president, driving Egypt in more poverty and the huge borrowing that followed.     

The next step must be enhancing the people’s choice by as many elections as it takes for them to make better judgment of candidates. This has to start at a low level of electing small neighborhoods public servants, this would put the people in direct contact with their representatives allowing them to observe the results of their choices.

The next important issue is economics, but is a long story. It only starts with the better choice of the people's representatives.

One big obstacle that has to be passed before all this starts, that is for the people to accept their differences. I would like to see someone accepting another who advocates at the top of his lung that what he spent a life time advocating for the contrary at the top of his lung. Then, and only then the people is ready for democracy.

At the end, sir, I assure you that this wave will not stop until true democracy is initiated in this country; for the simple reason that without true democracy the country will only trip into more poverty igniting new revolutions ending by administrations serving time.