Egyptian People, the Absent-Present in Hereditary Rule Issue

Egyptian People, the Absent-Present in Hereditary Rule Issue

Many rumors have recently mushroomed, like “president Mubarak suffers from cancer. The president died a clinical death. Will the army allow Gamal to succeed the post of his father, president Mubarak”. Many other rumours and questions spread in the Egyptian street. All of them are revolving around who will succeed president Mubarak and who will allow who to assume this post in a consensus among army, intelligence service and the group surrounding president Mubarak, while the Egyptian people including all political powers are in a coma waiting for who will settle the issue of hereditary rule and for who.


It is as if the Egyptian people are fully convinced that they have no relation with the one who will rule them and that they are only following with a passive obedience and faithful to the past and coming Pharaoh-like rulers.


These inquiries and rumors lurk in the minds of the Egyptians since president Mubarak suffered an indisposition while he was delivering a speech in front of the People”s Assembly two years ago. He underwent a cancer treatment in Paris in August 2007.


Since then these rumors are mushrooming, perhaps to seek a solution for the crises that the Egyptians faced president Mubarak assumed office or to escape the real confrontation for change waiting of a divine change .


3 scenarios for a hereditary rule in Egypt


The first scenario: That his son Gamal is inherited rule


The second scenario: That Omar Suleiman is inherited rule.


The third scenario: Imposing a ruler from the army


Approving these three scenarios will definitely take place with a consensus among the three powers (the army – the intelligence service- the presidency) while the Egyptian people are absent from decision making circles regarding choosing their potential ruler


Will the army and intelligence service in Egypt approve the so called a scenario of hereditary transferring of rule from Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to his son Gamal, even if that took place under elections uncontrolled by a full judicial supervision after amending article 88 of the constitution?.


Will the Egyptian people maintain its coma waiting for the one who ends the battle to his favour specially while Egyptian token opposition parties are indulged in internal disputes and as the Muslim Brotherhood (MB) group pays attention to its internal affairs and facing continuous security blows  from the ruling regime.


Early in 2007, labor strikes hit nationwide seeking better conditions. Many people saw these strikes as a proof that the Egyptians have restored awareness and consciousness which they have lost since 1952 revolution. However, this optimism hasn”t continued for a long time because the awakening of the Egyptian workers has ended until a further notice, not to mention its white collar intellectuals who are sitting in their offices and in front of their books.  


It is very natural to see downtown a group of young men staging a demonstration while facing irony from passers-by and most people although this demonstration is staged to call for the demands and reflect the reality of these passers-by. This proves the successive regimes have succeeded in imposing passivity on Egyptian people.


Meanwhile, all Egyptian opposition powers are fully paralyzed waiting for the ruling regime to allow it to move, something it won”t easily give to parties unless they support the hereditary rule file .


This passivity which is deep-rooted in Egyptian people is spawned by six decades of repression and intimidation exercised by the ruling regimes against all sections of the Egyptian society starting from 1952 revolution to 1981 September incidents 1981. Add to this maintaining the tight grip of the security services under supervision of the current regime including the daily revealed cases of torture which are only a drop in the ocean of what the Egyptian people face under this regime.


The Egyptian people need very tremendous efforts to have a role and an influence on the ground in the Egyptian political milieu. Till this awakening emerges, this trio (the group around the regime- the army – the intelligence ) will control the fate and future of Egypt while 70 million persons are unaware of their homeland.