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Don’t Delay Egyptian Democracy

So far, the Egyptian Revolution has mostly led to further political disorder rather than to an outbreak of positive political change. In the eyes of some, that makes the case for delaying elections and trying to strengthen liberal forces vis-a-vis Islamists. Mark Lynch says no:

This would be a mistake. The continuing rule of the armed forces, without any legitimate civilian institutions, is in fact causing many of Egypt’s problems today. The activists who continue to take to the streets are right to point to the inexplicable failure to lift the emergency law, the continuing resort to military trials of civilians, and the crackdowns on the media and civil society. The longer Egypt defers elections, the worse that conditions will become — for liberal forces and for all Egyptians. Does anyone really believe that elections will go better for liberals after another year of a collapsing economy, protests and autocratic rule by the military?

Excellent points. I wonder, though, if any of these movements in Egypt really know what needs to be done to fix the Egyptian economy.

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