President Morsi faces music he once enjoyed
Exactly a year after Mr Mohamed Morsi took office as the first democratically elected President of Egypt, after popular protests ousted his long-serving predecessor Hosni Mubarak, the situation seems to have come a full circle. Today, Mr Morsi faces the same dilemma that Mr Mubarak faced in early 2011, and how he responds to the crisis now will not just be a defining moment of his own presidency but also determine Egypt’s political future. Sunday possibly marked the tipping point in the rapidly growing opposition to Mr Morsi's questionable decisions as thousands gathered in Cairo's historic Tahrir Square as well as in other parts of Egypt — and indeed around the world from Sydney to Paris to Washington, DC, to once again remove from office a leader they believe had failed his people. The protesters are thoroughly disappointed in how the President, a Muslim Brotherhood leader, has ‘abused’ his popular mandate to grab dictatorial powers for himself and push the Islamist agenda, while doing little to shore up Egypt's crippling economy, contain sky-rocketing prices or resolve the country's debilitating energy crisis. But while each of these grievances is legitimate, the anti-Morsi camp has met with strong resistance from the pro-Morsi camp. In fact, as the two groups faced each other on Sunday, there were widespread fears that the situation might quickly dissolve into large-scale violence and bloodshed. And while thankfully matters haven’t yet spun out of control, Egypt remains remains on the brink. If the anti-Morsi camp will seemingly accept nothing less than the President's resignation, his supporters are equally insistent that their leader who took office after winning a free and fair election will not be bullied out of office. Additionally, the pro-Morsi camp has also alleged that protests have been motivated by Mubarak loyalists who want to scuttle Egypt's democratic process. With both camps digging in their heels, the possibility of a protracted face-off between Mr Morsi's critics and supporters looms large.
As for the President, he has naturally refused to buckle before the crowds. This is a fair decision especially since Mr Morsi's resignation could set a dangerous precedent for Egypt's fledgling democracy. But it will surely prove to be his undoing if he does not respond promptly to the people's grievances. It is nobody's case that he turn around the economy overnight but he must set the ball rolling. Equally importantly, he must take immediate steps to contain the influence of Islamists, whom he has given a free hand. After all, not only has Mr Morsi's popularity eroded considerably, he is also fast losing the support of Egypt's otherwise fractured political establishment which has coalesced against him. Up until now, the military has stayed away from the turmoil — mostly because it had had a trying experience leading the political transition after Mr Mubarak's resignation. But if the situation gets out of hand, the generals will step in.