Mursi and Shafiq after Mubarak

Eighty-eight years still remain in the current century, so it is very early to describe the trial of ousted Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak as the trial of the century. It is, however, for some Egyptians a trial of a lifetime. Who knows what the future may be hiding? If the future goes according to the proposed constitution, a minimum of 11 presidents will rule Egypt if the constitution was amended to allow each president to remain in office for two terms of four years each. On the other hand, we may have at most 22 presidents during the remaining years of the century if the presidential term is only four years that are not to be renewed. Mubarak ruled for five terms and was accused of planning to pass over the rule to his son. This caused him troubles for 10 years and ended in a revolution against him. Mubarak’s trial was the most exciting event, but it will not be the most important phase in Egyptian history. The election of a new president may be the most exciting event and may have a strong imprint on the future. Mubarak was actually tried when he was forced to step down on Feb. 11, 2011. That was the harshest sentence that could be passed on a ruler like him. The difference is to sleep on a bed in the prison hospital or in the hospital of a retirement home. Building the future is the real challenge for Egypt in order to become a country of institutions and regulations and to move toward becoming a modern state. Egypt’s strides toward modernity came to a halt when it entered into the tunnel of military rule since the presidency of Muhammad Naguib in 1952. The shift to the future will not be as easy as the revenge from the past. We are now witnessing difficult beginnings full of suspicions and strife between the remnants of the old regime and the opposition consisting of the Muslim Brothers and the youth of Tahrir Square. The war is still raging between them, and it will further aggravate during the second round of the presidential elections in the few days to come. This will be followed by the battles of forming the government and drafting the constitution. If the Egyptian society is able to overcome the winds of these issues peacefully, albeit with some bruises, the ship will finally dock on the land and may be for a long time. If this operation falters at the beginning, it will be a difficult phase for everyone. What causes real worries is that the differences between the various political powers in the country are very wide and are further widening with time. The life sentence given to Mubarak and the acquittal of his two sons is another point of conflict, which followed the tug of war over the results of the first round of the presidential elections. It is not a necessity that a great personality comes to power if a country is to become great. Against this, if a country is ruled by a weak personality, the interests of the people will be lost. Countries are now not looking for great or weak rulers. They are states of institutions, not leaders. The times of Alexander the Great, the Tsar, Napoleon and Hitler are over. The countries that are governed by institutions are the strongest ones and cannot be shaken by the toppling of the ruler or his substandard performance. A country as important as Egypt needs good institutions. It is in fact the oldest country in the world that presented institutions to the political scene. Therefore, it will not make any difference whether Mursi or Shafiq wins if the legislative and executive institutions are reactivated and a fair constitution drafted. The constitution should protect the rights of the Coptic citizens and women, who constitute half of the society.     The views expressed by the author do not necessarily represent or reflect the editorial policy of Arabstoday.