Democracy in Egypt in peril with power grab by president

A prominent rights activist and best-selling novelist in Egypt used the word “mistakes” to describe what President Mohammed Morsi has done to consolidate power. A mistake is an error in action. Morsi’s declaration that the president will have the right to legislate and will control the drafting of a new constitution is a clear indication that he intends to follow the path of ousted dictator Hosni Mubarak. That’s not good news for the people of Egypt.

Several months ago, in the wake of a democratic election, we warned that the political situation was tenuous at best.

We expressed concern about the military rulers who took seized control after Mubarak was forced to resign 17 months ago. And, we sounded a cautionary note about the winner of the run-off election, Morsi, because of his leadership in the Muslim Brotherhood, an Islamic fundamentalist group.

Last weekend, the president made a move against the military rulers, who had grabbed sweeping powers shortly after Morsi’s victory. He forced the retirement of the top brass, including the defense minister and chief of staff, and installed an ally as head of the defense department.

“Are we looking at a president determined to dismantle the machine of tyranny … or one who is retooling the machine of tyranny to serve his interests, removing the military hold on the state so he can lay the foundations for the authority of the Brotherhood?” asked rights activist and novelist Alaa al-Aswani in an article published Tuesday in an independent daily newspaper. “He must correct these mistakes and assure us through actions that he is a president of all Egyptians.”

Morsi’s definition of democracy certainly is at odds with that of the people on the streets who participated in the popular uprising against the Mubarak. Eight hundred Egyptians died at the hands of government security forces, but in the end Mubarak was no match for the populace’s yearning to be free.

In the aftermath of Mubarak’s ouster, the military leaders took control of the country, pledging to keep it secure while democratic elections were held. Despite misgivings by the public over the heavy-handed rule by the junta — it disbanded the duly elected parliament — Egyptians continued to believe in the promise of the Arab Spring. Then came Morsi’s victory, the military’s power grab and warning signs that a bleak future was in the offing.

Islamic nation

Now, with the new president consolidating his power, the threat of a Muslim Brotherhood take over of the country is very real. Opponents of Morsi’s candidacy had warned that the ultimate goal of the Brotherhood was to transform Egypt into an Islamic nation similar to Iran.

If that should occur, the power structure of the region would change dramatically. Other Middle Eastern countries with active Islamic organizations could also fall prey to the extremists.

The spread of theocratic governments would certainly place Israel in harm’s way.

The United States, which sends about $2 billion a year in aid to Egypt, cannot take a hands-off approach to Morsi’s power grab. The Obama administration must make it clear to him that America’s economic support is tied to Egypt’s fully adopting democratic principles of governance.

President Obama should also let it be known that the spread of Islamic extremism will be viewed as a threat to Israel, America’s leading ally in that part of the world.