Egyptians Anxious About Prolonged Military Rule

Complicated System of Elections Largely Irrelevant, Voters Fear

Though the West seems largely good with Egypt having been a “successful” sort of revolution, the average Egyptian is increasingly unsure that anything has really changed. Long-time dictator Hosni Mubarak is gone, but Field Marshall Tantawi and his “interim” junta are looking less and less interim as time goes on.

The military’s convoluted scheme of voting begins in just a few weeks, but the first round does end until March of next year. Even after that, the military will retain control over the key positions of power until a presidential vote tenatively scheduled for 2013.

And while Tantawi insists the Army won’t become a political party in and of itself, a growing number of public appearances for junta members have fueled concern that the leadership has designs on long-term leadership.

The military took over the nation after President Hosni Mubarak was forced from office by public protests. Opposition parties have expressed concern that the elections are too complex and the positions too ill-defined for them to effectively compete.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.