Egypt after Hosni Mubarak

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Back in his heyday, Hosni Mubarak, the despotic ruler of Egypt, would not have imagined in even his wildest dreams that his last days could come to this. The 82-year-old leader saw the entire nation rise up in revolt, and after more or less peacefully stepping down, faces imminent arrest and prosecution. The news hit him badly; so badly, in fact, that he had to be immediately hospitalized. His two sons have already been arrested, and the country is systematically working, after a court directive, to remove Mubarak’s name and memory from every thing Egyptian.

Three cheers to democracy? Wait a minute . . .

Egyptian military: The spanner in the works

Surprisingly, life isn’t easy in Egypt these days. The political machinery is now in the hands of the military, and it is they rather than the police who are now handling the law-and-order. Reportedly, they are far worse than the police: People arrested for wrongdoing are receiving military trials and being detained under harsh conditions, rather than being sent to a civilian court. In the name of efficiency, human rights are being trampled underfoot.

There are cases of false accusations also, with people being thrown into jails for offences they maintain they haven’t committed. There has been one good result of all this, though: the police, who fought with the protesters not too long ago, suddenly seem sympathetic toward people. But whether this is a genuine change of heart or a clever move to exploit the military oppression, can’t be said with certainty.

The presidential elections are in October. A new government will soon be in place, but one has to wonder what further problems the people of Egypt may have to go through before it all settles down.

The Middle East puzzle

The recent developments in the Middle East have taken everyone by surprise. Within a few days only, the protests spread to almost all the Arab countries. As a result, governments were toppled and power changed ownership. Egypt has found freedom from the long period of emergency, but a stable government is yet to be seen. Libya is crumbling under violence these days, and the outcome is more feared than awaited. Similar events are going on in other countries as well.

It is surprising that the wave of protests has moved to the other parts of the world as well. The so-called ‘Jasmine Revolution’ is looming large in China, and there are reports of the government trying its best to curb it both physically and on the internet.

It’s good to see that people are finally raising their voices against the long periods of poverty, unemployment, lack of freedom, high inflation, and other problems these countries are facing. Egypt, Nigeria, Yemen, and other countries are very soon going to see an elections. How these developments take shape, will be interesting to see.