Democracy In Egypt

Introduction: Since the Arab Spring in 2010, the world has seen Egypt in a constant state of turmoil with political instability, economic uncertainty and mass demonstrations. Democracy in Egypt is an important issue for the Egyptian people as well as the neighbouring countries and the world as a whole as everyone looks forward to peace and stability in the region. Egypt has a huge number of young, educated and technologically savvy citizens who deserve a bright future. It is an important Arab state and the largest country in North Africa. Moreover, it has control over the Suez Canal which is a vital maritime link for many countries. Peace in Egypt would mean regional stability and security in the Middle East which is generally a troubled region.

Research by Isam al-Din Muhammad Hasan on the legal system in Egypt entitled The One-Party System in a Multiparty Form reveals that formation of political parties is curbed due to the legal framework of the country hence democratic movement has not grown as it should have. As the Government has the final say in the electoral process, democratic reform has not made much progress. In The Organizational Structure of Egyptian Parties: Changes in the Reality and Stability of the Structure, a paper written by Amre Shubaki, it is mentioned that Egypt has seen a lot of difference in its political scenario in the pre 1990s and post 1990s period. Before 1990, particularly in 1984 and 1987, there was a strong thrust towards democracy and a suitable environment for economic and political change. But since 1990s, there has been a decline in the effect of political parties. Also due to globalization, democracy is linked with various issues such as the importance of women’s and minority right. Moreover human rights are always a tangible force in international relations. Wahid Abd al-Majid’s 1992 doctoral dissertation from the Faculty of Economy and Political Science of Cairo University, Egyptian Parties from the Inside, studies internal democracy in Egypt and the division of authority amongst political parties, conflict over decision making , differences in ideological and

It was under the control of France in the late 1700s. Then first half of 1800s saw it governed by Muhammed Ali Pasha of the Ottoman Empire followed by Britain till 1922. From 1952 to 1970, the President of Egypt, Colonel Gamal Abdel Nasser oversaw many economic changes including privatization of companies, nationalization of banks and control over the Suez Canal. This was a time of growth in political and economic fields. In 1970, after the death of Nasser, Anwar Sadat became the new president. He was responsible for implementing a new constitution in Egypt. According to it, the president had all the powers and the parliament was virtually ineffective. This was definitely a blow to democracy. However, in the 1980s there was a resurgence of democracy under President Mubarak. The Egyptian military has maintained distance from civilian rule via different ways such as economic independence, legal provisions for maintaining a separate identity and also informal methods. Division of power has not been a problem as most Egyptian presidents were from a military background. From 2011, Egypt’s constitution was categorized as a liberal democracy but in fact the Egyptian Military remained in a position of power. Under President Morsi, there was a conflict with the military establishment. He made amendments to the constitution so that legislative powers were taken away from the