They wanted their autocratic President Hosni Mubarak to resign after 30 years in power. No small request then but after 18 days of protesting, as Sam Cooke sang, a change has come to Egypt.So, whilst we can't foretell what will happen next, for today at least, it's a day to celebrate a day of national re-awakening for Egypt.
So, it feels quite apt to move from Sam Cooke's melancholic words to the loud and voracious response given by Wham in 1984 (including the 1m 45s intro)
For today then, that precious commodity desired by peoples all the world.
FREEDOM!
I think you may be a bit simplistic.
ReplyDeleteYes, Mubarak has gone and now the army is in control with an acting President who at 75, was the Defence Minister in Mubarak's Cabinet. Presumably appointed by Mubarak.
It was the young who ultimately brought down Mubarak, but how can a 75 year old field marshall, who was closely linked to Mubarak, bring about the type of democracy that the people were calling for.
And will the NDP re-invent itself in time for the election as they have the strong organisation withing Egypt, whereas Mubarak suppressed the opposition and indeed created opposition parties to make it look to the world as thought it was a democratic party.
Step forward New NDP?
Or will democratic parties set up between now and September?
Whatever happens, I bet the leaders of Libya, Algeria, Syria, South Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and even Iran, having been changing their underpants, several times a day, since Tunisia blew up and Egypt followed.
If only the same could happen in Iran as I really fear that the world faces one hell of a serious threat from the President and the clerics, whereas the young people tend to be pro-West and want freedom. They failed 2 years ago, but maybe if the Middle Eastern revolutions continue to spread across the region, I really hope that the possible confrontations with Iran could be prevented if there was a successful revolution and a true democracy is allowed to develop.
Fingers crossed, Iran will follow in due course, otherwise the world faces a showdown with Ahmedinejad in a year or two's time.