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The confrontation between Islamist and secular parties is the most dangerous crisis in Egypt’s unhappy political transition. The battle for control will not lead to democracy.
Egyptians will not find a path forward unless their leaders find within themselves an intention to resolve their differences through compromise. The constitutional process is badly broken, but it can still be repaired.
Egypt is a country where those with gavels are often more powerful than those with guns and contestants speak in legal language.
Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi has assumed additional presidential powers, leading to protests largely led by non-Islamic groups.
Given the tumultuous and mutable dynamic in the Middle East, the United States must set reasonable expectations on how it can influence change in the region.
Constitutions are supposed to constitute political authority, but in Egypt, political authorities are helping draft the constitution from which they will draw their own future authority.
The new Egyptian constitution is surrounded by controversy over who should write it, when it should be drafted, and which principles and values it should embody. With a draft already published, debate is as intense as ever.
Dominant party overreach following the Muslim Brotherhood’s rise is a greater threat to Egypt’s democracy than Islamist illiberalism.
Egypt is inching closer to normal politics. Secularists will be forced to compete directly with Islamists for popular support to gain power or become a viable opposition.
The vague language of Egypt’s draft constitution is likely to pave the way for a long political struggle over the document’s true meaning.