Tuesday
Aug182009
On Omar Suleiman
Issandr El Amrani
I have a piece on Omar Suleiman up at Foreign Policy, in which I examine the case for Egypt's chief of intelligence succeeding Hosni Mubarak. I thought the focus in most reporting tended to stress Gamal, and wanted to balance things out by imagining how a Suleiman takeover might look like. Although the headline (not mine) may seem like it's an endorsement, the idea is more to reflect on the current "Gamal vs. Omar" debate and how bloody depressing it all is. I conclude:
Lost in this Egyptian Kremlinology is the fact that neither Gamal Mubarak nor Omar Suleiman presents a clear departure from the present state of affairs. Neither offers the new social contract that so many of Egypt's 80 million citizens are demanding in strikes and protests. The prevalence of the Gamal vs. Omar debate, more than anything, highlights the low expectations ordinary Egyptians have for a democratic succession to Hosni Mubarak's 28-year reign. Those low expectations come with their own quiet tyranny, too.
Feedback welcomed!
Reader Comments (7)
لا لجمال ولا للأخوان نعم لعمر سليمان
www.omarsoliman.blogspot.com
النسخة العربية
NOt gamal Not Muslim brothers we want suleimanj
www.omarsolimaneng.blogspot.com
the english version
visit these sites in order to know why the egyptian want soliman as an only logical alternative present
The project of inheritance is prepared in full swing and for it the state security institute( the official sponsor for the inheritance project) becomes stronger and destroys any chance which may lead to the change of the country; starting from controlling the legal parties by extracting it abilities of work and change ending with damaging any political opposition activity. So we realize the change is impossible to be made by the opposition which consider as a kind of imagination, therefore we have an opposition suffer from a complete paralysis. In addition to the role of the state security in this issue, the problems of the Egyptian opposition didn't end and never ends. The leaderships of the opposition could not stand on the minimum ground for their requirements, they could not overcome their personal disagreements and their narrow ideological conflicts, as well as their personal benefit and their psychotically disorders such as loving the appearance and the desire of monopolizing struggles. So we have a disable opposition does not have the ability even for thinking; their alliances not exceeds media alliances no more no less.
As a result of the previous, we have not to make our hopes depend on an opposition that reached a very law level of weakness. And while the regime invent the play of democracy, the opposition also made her own play, and believes that they are a true opposition and they have the ability to stimulate and direct the people. So the question is from where the coming president will come?? The next president will only come from the regime. How?? Will the change come from a corrupted regime???
Inside the regime there is a fight between two wings the first wing supports the inheritance of Gamal Moubarak, this wing consists of group of the corrupted businessmen which want to protect their personal advantages. The other wing sees that Gamal Moubarak is not able to lead this country also he doesn’t have the ability to protect the stability and the security of this country during a popular refuse for Gamal Moubarak and for his party. Also Gamal Moubarak's name is conjugated with the political reforming and change only on the publicity side while in the real he didn’t make anything in this direction, even he didn’t make any steps in the direction of democracy except some formal steps not express any true intention for making change. If Mr. Gamal has the intention for making a political reforming so, what prevent him from doing this?? What are the obstacles?? Gamal moubarak is the general secretary of the policies committee in the NDP, isn’t he?? Is not Gamal Moubarak the owner of an army from the governmental media and the businessmen which gave him their support?? What prevent him??
Although Gamal Moubarak from his position has all abilities and authorities required for making a political reforming project, but actually he is a natural extension for a period lakes any real political reforming which may lead to a dangerous situation in case of Gamal Moubarak becomes the president. Specially a lot of sectors from the Egyptian sees the succession of Gamal is a kidnapping of the authority even if he comes by an election; due to this election will be a dirty election under the sponsorship of the state security system( the official sponsor for the inheritance project). Also Gamal will be the mean for reaching the Muslim Brotherhood for the governance; a lot of indications mention that the inheritance project will be implemented through a deal with the Muslim Brotherhood in order to protect an easy an safe transferring of the power.
The other wing sees that the only strong one who has the ability to keep the stability and the security… the one who has the ability to lead the country in such hard time….. the one who has the qualifications and degrees which allow him to lead for a transition phase…. The one who according to his age will not lead for a long time unlike Gamal Moubarak …..The media of Gamal will not be able to distorting him. The state security will not be able to describe him as an agent for the west……The one who is hold much hope for the country leadership in a transition phase for pushing the country foreword and leading the project of the freedom, democracy and building an actual political system mainly depends on the polarity the one we support as a transition president is Omar Suleiman
The one who is hold much hope for the country leadership in a transition phase for pushing the country foreword and leading the project of the freedom, democracy and building an actual political system mainly depends on the multiple system the one we support as a transition president is Omar Suleiman
I understand your argument, Sohila, and largely sympathize with it. My point was only to say that Suleiman has yet to prove any reformist inclinations.
Egypt - a land steeped in imcomparible history
Drowning into a self-absorbed, dictatorial misery
One man amay ttempt but he can never rule alone
For he will always leave a heart beating without a home
none of the above.