Egypt's Presidential Election Experiment

by Sharif Abdel Kouddous

"....The Muslim Brotherhood along with other groups—Islamist or otherwise—may have emerged as the new power brokers in the post-Mubarak political landscape, but it has been the power of the street that has forced far more concessions from the military council over the past year and a half, most significantly a scheduled handover of authority by June that necessitated this week’s presidential poll.

While the election is billed as the last stage in the country’s transition, the question remains, a transition to what? The military remains deeply entrenched in the economy and government institutions, while the main pillars of the state—the judiciary, the police, the security and intelligence agencies—have not been reformed.

Despite the uncertainty, millions of Egyptians will head to the polls on Wednesday to cast their ballots in what should prove to be a historic election. For the winner, a turbulent future awaits."