January 31, 2011
Egypt's path to democracy
TRU student Tito Badawy has some legitimate concerns about the safety of his family in Egypt. From what I’ve been able to glean from various news sources, the biggest worry is not clashes with security forces but a lack of law and order. Many neighbourhoods have created vigilante groups to protect their homes and businesses from looters. So who’s doing the looting? Some say it’s the humbled police officers themselves, who were run off the streets by protesters.
The army has taken over security for the most part, but it looks like a re-organized police force is returning. It will be interesting to see how this works out, because in some cases soldiers appear to have been protecting protesters from the police. I’m betting the police will continue to be reined in by the army.
Protest organizers have now called for a million people to turn out in demonstrations. If this goes ahead, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak won’t be able to hold out any longer. I predict he will announce a transitional government and new elections. And if he’s smart, these elections will be free, fair and open.