Mursi on the mat

Since the demise of Mubarak rule, the relationship between politics and religion has dominated debate in Egypt. The call to separate religion from politics has yet to be heeded by all key political forces in Egypt including the Muslim Brotherhood.
In the post-revolution Egypt, the relationship between politics and religion has prevented different political forces from developing a legal and constitutional framework with consensus. There are a lot of contradictions between what Islamists seek in the constitution and the principles of democracy and citizenship. If anything, these contradictions cannot promote democracy.
Also, President Mohammad Mursi seems unable to reconcile his deep-rooted Islamist inclinations with the need to build a modern country based on tolerance and religious diversity. His policies have only scared non-Islamists to the point that many political forces are joining hands to put an end to his rule. After roughly one year in office, Mursi faces widespread discontent as millions of disgruntled Egyptians have signed petitions for his ouster.
Mursi's lack of understanding of what constitutes democracy has led him to act as if he is infallible. But the grass-root campaigns against his autocratic style and ill-advised policies have undercut his ability to wield power. This fact has also undermined his efforts to deal with the country's most burning issues. One can argue that the state is dysfunctional.
The trick of blaming Mubarak's regime for all ills in Egypt has outlived its usefulness. It is not enough to say that decades of Mubarak's rule have created the current situation. Millions have been looking to Mursi to pull the country out the crisis but he failed. In Egypt, there is a widespread perception that the country is sinking. After a year of ruling, the beleaguered president has reached a point where he has no proper allies except for the Muslim Brotherhood. The public outcry about the need to get rid of Mursi is a statement about Mursi's political quandary.
In light of the current deteriorating political status of the president, the opposition groups called for mass protests in the last day of this month. The 30th of June can be a game changer. Demonstrations can easily inflame a country that is already polarized. No one can predict with any accuracy where the country will be heading after that date.
One of the problems is that the president of Egypt is in denial. His insistence on his electoral legitimacy and the rejection of the opposition groups for this logic may push the president to depend on his Islamist base to back him. The last thing Mursi needs is to be seen as relying only on the Muslim Brotherhood. This can only further polarize the society — a recipe for instability.
Mursi has not yet fully understood that the economy has been on the decline since the beginning of the revolution. He needs to understand that millions of people who took to the street to bring about change are also looking for a better life. Slogans can solve no problem at all. Now foreign currency reserves have fallen by 50 percent since the last days of Mubarak's rule and the Egyptian pound has lost 10 percent of its value.
On top of that, the government is getting weaker. It has lost the ability to convince an increasing number of people that it can deliver. Worse, the newly appointed officials cannot reach their offices fearing attacks by demonstrators. Just last week, Mursi appointed seven governors who belong to the Muslim Brotherhood.
In dealing with the situation, Mursi has failed to show statesmanship. He dismissed the opposition groups and accused them of being anti-democratic and allies of the old regime. These statements can only convince his supporters but not the wider disgruntled public. His call for a national dialogue may be too little and too late. It seems that the dice has been rolled and the opposition will continue to demand the resignation of the president and a snap presidential election.
It remains to be seen how the situation will evolve. Mursi's supporters seem to be convinced that the president is right and his steps are aimed at cleansing the Egyptian institutions of corruption. But the non-Islamists view Mursi's measures as "Brotherhoodizing" the country.

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