Out with the old, in with the new.
Last week, millions from around the globe watched as former Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi was forced out of office.
Morsi, Egypt’s first-ever democratically elected president, served little more than one year before succumbing to outside pressure.
According to The Guardian, some of the criticism leveled against Morsi included his inability to solve Egypt’s economic crisis and his decision to give the Muslim Brotherhood “too much power.”
Massive demonstrations in the country’s capital only furthered the public’s distrust of Morsi.
After failing to comply with Gen. Abdel Fatah al-Sisi’s demands, Morsi was forced out in what many have called a “coup d’etat.”
As Egypt transitions beyond Morsi, we at the Daily 49er are unsure of what to expect for the country’s future.
What will be of this new, ever-changing democracy?
As shown by Morsi’s removal, Egypt still has a long way to go before it can become a healthy and functional democracy.
Some of us are concerned by how powerful the Egyptian military is and its recent actions.
If the Egyptian people are dissatisfied with who is leading their country, it appears that the Egyptian military can step in on their behalf.
While the act of removing an unpopular president from office may seem noble, it is nonetheless scary to imagine.
Egypt’s most recent presidential ousting also highlighted the military’s willingness to represent the will of Egyptian citizens.
However shocking and unorthodox Morsi’s removal from office was, it was nonetheless a democratic action.
It is clear that the military listened to the will of the people when it decided to remove Morsi from office.Last week’s ousting, however, highlighted just how fragile a young democracy can be.After living under former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak for almost 30 years and then overthrowing him, many Egyptians have realized the power they hold.
If a president does not listen to the public’s demands, it can be assumed that the president’s days are numbered.
We hope Morsi’s removal will lead to further, more progressive reforms and the election of a president who will take more time to listen to the will of the people.
Democracy takes time, as evidenced by last week’s actions.
It’s clear that while presidents may come and go, the will of the Egyptian people will never die.