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Democracy in Egypt Needs More than an Election

(USA Today) Dennis Ross - The term "Arab Spring" was always a misnomer. There was never going to be a rapid transformation from authoritarian rule to democracy in Middle Eastern countries. Genuine democracy requires not just elections; it requires a political culture of tolerance and respect for minority rights; institutions that provide for the rule of law; a readiness to accept the outcome of elections even when you lose; and a recognition that governance cannot favor only one group to the exclusion of everyone else. However, there was an "awakening" in many of the countries of the Middle East in 2011. Suddenly people saw themselves as citizens and not as subjects: as citizens they had a right to make demands, have a voice, expectations and hopes - and above all else, create accountability. In Egypt, President Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood acted in power as if they were the new authoritarians. Yes, he was elected; however, he was not anointed, and he and his colleagues acted as if they had been. Rather than be inclusive, Morsi appointed mostly members of the Muslim Brotherhood and sought to rule by decree, ensure that the new constitution would be written only by Islamists, prosecute journalists that "insulted" the president, remove judges who opposed him, and ignore the economic needs of the country. This is not like Algeria where the military acted to void an election and prevent a newly voted in Islamist leadership from assuming power. This was the Egyptian public literally revolting and seeking a course correction. Any future leadership, including one that may involve the Muslim Brotherhood, must start with the premise of sharing power and responsibility. The writer, a special assistant to President Obama and senior director of the Central Region on the National Security Council from 2009 to 2011, is now a counselor at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.
2013-07-09 00:00:00
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