Political crisis in Egypt deadlocked

After international reconciliation efforts failed, the government’s threats of action against Morsi's supporters finally materialized. The situation is generating widespread pessimism about Egypt’s future.

The Egyptian government on August 14 imposed a one-month state of emergency as violence flared up throughout the country after government forces forcibly dispersed supporters of deposed President Morsi.

Police detain a supporter of ousted Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi in Cairo August 13, 2013 (Photo:Reuteres)

The Egyptian President’s Office released a statement saying that the emergency state was imposed because Egypt’s security and order has been sabotaged by extremist groups.  Interim President Adly Mansour announced that the army has been ordered to coordinate with the police to use all necessary measures to maintain security and order, and protect public and private assets and people’s lives.

The death toll has reached hundreds with thousands injured. Egyptian Vice President Mohamed El Baradei announced his resignation saying he could no longer bear responsibility for deaths that could be avoided.

The international community strongly condemned the violence in Egypt. The European Union said it was extremely worried by the news of violence in Egypt and called for restraint. Germany, France, the UK, and Turkey urged supporters of the interim government and ousted President Mohamed Morsi to end the violence.

They also called on the UN Security Council and the Arab League to take immediate steps to prevent a massacre in Egypt saying international silence paved the way for the Egyptian authorities’ deadly crackdown.

Dozens of Jordanians demonstrated outside the Egyptian Embassy in Amman to protest the Egyptian military’s crackdown. Qatar also condemned the violence and voiced its strong support for the Muslim Brotherhood.

The situation in Egypt is now deadlocked. Egyptians now understand that it is much easier to overthrow a dictatorship than it is to replace one with a new government. Two years after overthrowing President Hosni Mubarak, Egypt has not been able to set up a viable political system due to divisions and lack of willingness to compromise for the common goal.

Though the Muslim Brotherhood won the election and control of the country, they failed to persuade millions of Egyptians to believe in their policies. Unemployment and poverty have been increasing. The army, which had been considered the only political arbitrator in Egypt before President Mohamed Morsi was deposed, is now taking a dangerous risk by suppressing the supporters of President Morsi.

Egypt is facing a crisis due to tough stances and divisions between rival parties. The army is determined not to make any concessions and to continue suppressing protesters while the Muslim Brotherhood says it will protest until the army-backed government resigns and President Morsi is back in office. Meanwhile, the mediatory role of the Arab League and the international community has proved ineffective due to internal disputes.

These developments offer little hope for fixing the political deadlock in Egypt. The number of protesters is likely to increase in the next few days. There will be more deaths and the situation is getting worse. It will be difficult to find a quick solution to the violence in Egypt now.