Egypt is free, economic liberation remains

Egypt’s first free parliament in six decades got to work on Monday in what is largely seen as the first sign of democratic rule, in sharp contrast to the previous legislature dominated by the ousted Hosni Mubarak’s party. But the exact role of parliament remains unclear, with much power still remaining in the hands of the generals who took over from former president Mubarak.

Continuing pro-democracy protests near the parliament building also sends a strong message to elected representatives that people’s expectations are high, and rightly so, after all the uncertainty and unrest they endured for such a long time. The military has repeatedly pointed to the landmark polls as proof of its intention to cede power to civilian rule, but it has come under intense criticism in recent months for rights abuses and for stifling dissent.

A marathon parliamentary election, which ended recently, saw Egypt’s two main Islamist parties catapulted to the centre stage of politics. The Muslim Brotherhood won with 47.18 per cent through its Freedom and Justice Party. The conservative Salafist Al Nur party came second with 24.29 per cent, with the liberal Wafd party finishing a distant third.

In their first act, newly-elected deputies voted in Saad Al Katatni, a leading member of the powerful Musim Brotherhood, as the new speaker of parliament. The MPs also elected two deputy speakers: Ashraf Thabet from the ultra conservative Salafist Al-Nur party and Mohammed Abdel Alim Daoud of the liberal Wafd party.

The scars in the form of spilt-blood and economic strangulation are deep among the people and need to be erased by swift and pragmatic action. A decline in revenues generated from the country’s third largest economic sector is putting a squeeze on tour operators, including those at one of the greatest attractions in the world, the Great Pyramids of Giza. The slowdown in tourists has forced many to sell off their valuable possessions. Tourism Minister Mounir Abdel-Nour has gone on record saying revenues from the tourism sector were down over 33 per cent in 2011. The number of tourist visits last year was 9.8 million, down from 14.7 million in 2010.

“We say to the Egyptian people and to the world that our revolution continues,” Katatni has declared in his maiden announcement. The message is pleasing, but the people are looking beyond words. The country has gone through a tumultuous period and Egyptians are not going to be contented with mere rhetoric. Voters have made it clear that their faith in democracy is strong and irreversible. Now the ball is in the court of elected leaders. The expectations are high. They need to shun pomposity and set the ball rolling by working towards the supreme goal of bringing the country back to its original glory.