MORSI MANDATE

Having tasted power for a year or so, the now-deposed Morsi is finding himself in a fix, neither is he able to exercise his power nor is he able to come out of his house arrest. Morsi started his political sojourn in a haphazard manner and was functioning more like a rubber stamp for some behind-the-scene political pundits of the Ikhwan who were rather hasty in consolidating power in a new democracy. He should have acted as people's President embracing all Egyptians of all walks of life. Instead he was dictating the Ikhwani approach to the now-defunct Political Islam in the hope of repeating the Iranian Revolution. He was dead wrong from the start. No doubt he was able to solve the bread problem but he failed to give the butter. Naturally people got choked with dry bread and they took to street. He must have buttered the people well.

Repeating Iranian model will not come with visiting Iran upon ascending the Throne. To achieve that Morsi should have purged the entire system that was well-rooted in patronised corruption. There are leaders be they religious, civil or military who are still recipients of regular American handouts. The late Ayatollah's post-revolution action was to cleanse the society of such sell-outs. The revolutionary Iranians managed to do that because they had the privy to documents linking those wretched souls with their American handlers, which they obtained from the shredded documents during their famous 444 days occupation of the American Embassy. If the Ikhwans had repeated this event they might have succeeded in retaining power. Now what Morsi is going through is the result of his inability to act immediately at neutralising those vile forces that kept Egypt subservient to the dictates of the the West.

Secondly he should have treaded a reconciliatory path that might have kept his party enthusiasts in check and allowed space and time for people to adjust to their new-found freedom. There must be a clear road map to transition of power from a totalitarian outfit to a democratic suit. Instead he followed a drastic and desperate attempt to consolidate his power, fearing as though there is no tomorrow and that he may not have another chance. He has not been sincere in this. One thing is clear from this is that the Islamists have to learn politics before tasting it. Let's hope Egypt will find its balance in the coming days. I am sure the struggle will drag on and Mubarak will continue monitoring the situation from his air-conditioned cell. He will have the last laugh as his men are at work again.

READ: EGYPTIAN SHAM