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The Democracy-Elections Trap in Egypt

(Daily Beast) Leslie H. Gelb - Following the ouster of Hosni Mubarak, President Obama and the foreign-policy crowd began demanding immediate elections. The absolutely predictable winner soon thereafter was the organizational juggernaut of Mohamed Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood, which proceeded to turn their majority into an effective weapon against democracy. If elections were held once again six months or a year from now, the likely outcome would be the same. The MB is the only political organization capable of turning out a massive number of voters. Have no doubt about what Morsi was doing. He immunized his decisions from judicial review. He was squeezing and suppressing the rights of women and causing heartburn among non-Muslims. He strangled the free press and packed the organs of government with fellow Muslim Brothers. Remember, President George W. Bush and his advisers pushed the people of Gaza into quick elections in 2006 that were won by Hamas, by far the best organized party. After Hamas won, it used its majority to set up a dictatorship. Elections advance democracy only when they are built on solid laws, a free press, sharp constitutional restraints on governmental power, and the firm rights of individuals. Without these underpinnings, elections are usually a sham. The writer is president emeritus of the Council on Foreign Relations.
2013-07-26 00:00:00
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