Louis Palme / Aug 18, 2013

Egyptian President Morsi was democratically elected in June, 2012. He garnered a thin, 50.7% of the vote, which represented only 25% of the Egyptian electorate, or 13.2 million votes.  Following his election, however, he took the following actions to dismantle democracy and solidify his absolute control of Egypt:

·       Pardoned convicted plotters in the assassination of Egyptian President Anwar Sadat

·       Pardoned Mostafa Hamza the leader of the terrorist who killed 58 foreign tourists at Luxor in 1997

·       Issued a presidential degree giving himself sweeping powers not subject to parliamentary or judicial review

·       Dissolved the Supreme Court and appointed his own Muslim Brotherhood Attorney General without going through the constitutional process

·       Annulled the Egyptian Constitution and ordered his own Muslim Brotherhood constitutional committee to rewrite it overnight to impose Sharia Law without voter approval.

·       Introduced 70 new laws to restrict freedom of press and freedom of expression, including laws against insults to public officials, disruption of national peace, and publishing material “inimical to public taste.”  Six hundred criminal defamation cases were opened in just a single year.

·       Announced plans to open the Sinai region to the terrorist organization Hamas

·       Appointed a member of the Luxor attack terrorist group as governor of that provence

·       Failed to institute any economic reforms:

o   Unemployment increased 48% from 8.9% to 13.2% in the “official” tally

o   Egyptian currency lost 20 percent of value

o   Tourism fell by 32 percent from 14.7 million visitors annually to 10.0 million

 

By June, 2013, 22 million Egyptians had signed a petition calling for Morsi’s resignation or removal.

On June 30,   30 million Egyptians took to the streets all over Egypt to demand his resignation or removal.

Morsi and his administration were arrested, and the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court stepped in to restore a democratic constitution and to arrange for a new presidential election

In the outbreak of violence that began August 12, nearly 800 people have lost their lives and over 4,000 have been injured so far.  The fighting continues.   The Muslim Brotherhood has vowed to reinstate Morsi, despite his colossal failure as a democratic President.

Meanwhile, the Muslim Brotherhood has blamed Egyptian Christians for the opposition to the Morsi government. As a result they have set fire to 52 churches in a 24 hour span this week, as well as numerous schools, cultural centers, and businesses owned by Christians.

Democracy failed in Egypt because the elected leaders had no respect for a democratic, pluralistic society. The roster of failed states in the region now includes: Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Palestine, Syria, and Yemen.  

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