Morsi as President - A Positive Step for the Revolution

The ushering of Mohamad Morsi as the new elected President of Egypt, is certainly of some hope to many in Egypt. He represents a break from the old regime and is certainly seen as a far better alternative than Ahmad Shafiq, a man who profited in position and wealth from the former regime. It would be of no surprise that SCAF were quietly hoping Shafiq, a man of their era and mentality, would come in to power. Alas, for them, it did not materialise that way, but they are still important players in this political game.

Morsi may have won by 51.7% of the votes, but he comes into a position that is largely undefined. SCAF's ace in the hole, the dissolving of parliament was quickly summed up in the constitutional court. As a result, the parliamentary constitutional committee is currently disbanded and the constitution, including the powers of the president, are largely in the hands of SCAF. In addition, SCAF holds a veto to any part of the constitution that may be drafted.

No wonder you have people arguing, that whilst Morsi has the title, there is no real power for him to wield. Morsi or the Muslim Brotherhood are unlikely to challenge SCAF overtly either. Unlike the revolutionaries, who have no qualms in disturbing the masses with the instability of protests, the Muslim Brotherhood are now dependant on the support of the masses. Egyptians at large seem to desire stability more than anything else at this moment and to be able to live a normal life. As a result, Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood may negotiate with SCAF, rather than favour direct action as a standard rule.

The reason why this is situation is unpleasant for those who started the revolution, is that the revolution was not about simple principles of voting and political struggles, that it has dwindled into now. The revolution was about social justice and freedom and some revolutionaries feel that the Muslim Brotherhood have hijacked their revolution.

However, for the revolutionaries who are not happy with either SCAF or the Muslim Brotherhood, this is still an opportune time. Recent political results of the revolution are not surprising, given the two main vanguards that have dominated Egypt's 40 year history have come up on top in the elections. However, Morsi as president is still a win for the revolution. Now is the time in which the revolutionaries can advocate and seed their ideas into the masses. They can grow their ranks and become more organised and it can be a golden time for them.

This can only be a good thing for Egypt. It will undoubtedly create more of a political "buyer's market" for the Egyptian people and this can only create more accountability across the board.

Despite all of this, Morsi as president is not completely powerless. By his very presence and his words, he is able to affect the change that is necessary. He is still the President of Egypt. A title that still holds some of awe. Although he has resigned from his position in the Muslim Brotherhood, he will be seen by many of their members as their man. Egyptians also seem willing to get behind Morsi in a bid for normality and stability. By the mere fact that Morsi has been elected president and there have been no riots or demostrations, has caused the Egyptian stock market to rocket up by 7.6%. SCAF has already lost alot of support since the exiting of Mubarak, despite initially being celebrated. The masses have increasingly seen SCAF as the saboteur of the revolution. Even the minority who clinged to ex-regime members like Shafiq, will lose interest in SCAF and their ilk, as their lives become more comfortable and profitable. SCAF will increasingly become more isolated from political life.

It may be some time before presidential powers will be defined, but Morsi's influence should not be underestimated. He may have been described as the Brotherhood's Plan B, but for now it seems he is the man that Egypt needs. Time will be a testament to that.

As for the revolution, only the naive would think that it has come to a close, for better or worse. The freedom to continue to advocate and push for social justice has never been so certain and there is still alot to fight for in the coming years.