Eighteen months into Egypt’s experiment in democracy, is it game on or game over?
On the eve of two key rulings by the country’s highest court — and just three days before the second round of presidential elections — the military reimposed martial law. The next day, the Mubarak-friendly court decided that a man the former dictator considered his “third son” could run for president and also ruled that the Islamist-led parliament must immediately be dissolved. Many are calling it a bloodless coup.
Observing the presidential primary just weeks ago, I could not have imagined this outcome. Nor would it have occurred to me that Myanmar, where I traveled next, might be far ahead of Egypt in its democratic transition.
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