Notes from Cairo: Yesterday’s presidential election

Genevieve Hathaway, one of our astrologers, lives in Cairo. She just sent in her copy with a little update about yesterday’s election results, and I asked if she would elaborate. This article is what she sent. For background, here is a Planet Waves subscriber series article from last year called Something About Egypt. Don’t miss the photos!

A tense week in Egypt led up to the announcement of the country’s newly elected president, Mohammed Morsi (or if you’ve been reading BBC, then that would be Mursi — the world press is again having trouble spelling a world leader’s name). On June 16 and 17, Egyptians stood in line for hours at polling stations to vote for their president, choosing between the Muslim Brotherhood candidate Mohammed Morsi and the establishment candidate Ahmed Shafiq.

Morsi, Egypt’s first Islamist president, and the Muslim Brotherhood favor a more conservative, Islamic law-based government. Shafiq, Mubarak’s last vice president, represents a continuation of the Mubarak regime. Supporters of Shafiq have been termed fatool, which literally translates to remnant, but in this context means traitor.

With 30 years under Hosni Mubarak, Egypt has not been a country with many political parties or experienced politicians, save the Muslim Brotherhood. They know how to play the political game well. Within hours of the polls closing of the night of June 17, Morsi and his supporters descended on Tahrir Square where he gave a victory speech. This started confusion spreading throughout Egypt. Had Morsi and the Brotherhood won? Nobody on the streets of Cairo seemed certain. This was their first experience with a presidential election and the election commission had said nothing on who had one, yet Morsi was declaring himself the victor.

The military prior to the election had made a number of moves that could be interpreted as setting up a coup. The military on June 14 dissolved the Parliament, which was led by the Muslim Brotherhood. In response to this move by the military, the Brotherhood announced that “dangerous days” were ahead. Also, just before the presidential runoff election the constitutional court ruled to overturn a law passed by Parliament which had prevented former members of Mubarak’s regime from running for president. This opened the door for the military’s choice, Ahmed Shafiq, to run for president.

As days passed and the results of the presidential election were not announced, Egyptians on the street started getting concerned that a military style coup, like what happened in Algeria in 1992. was occurring. In Algeria’s coup the military canceled an election an Islamist was winning.

Tensions rose and the Brotherhood decided to make their stand as well. They announced protests starting on Thursday June 21st, declaring they would fill Tahrir Square with tens of thousands of people and not leave until the results of the election were announced. The organization set up booths in all major cities, handing out boxes of food, thus boosting support for their cause and their President among everyday Egyptians who care more about feeding their families than necessarily who is running the country. To turn the heat up further, the Muslim Brotherhood gathered supporters in villages, towns and the countryside throughout Egypt and bused them into Tahrir Square. These people, mostly men, were paid to live in Tahrir Square for as long as was needed.

Their wives and families were housed with the families of other Brotherhood supporters in Cairo. To support the tens of thousands of supporters in Tahrir Square, the Muslim Brotherhood erected giant tents in the square and brought in food daily for the people now living there. This created a much different dynamic than the crowd which in the square at the beginning of 2011. More guns and fireworks were also present in this new crowd, shots could be heard going off all night around the square. Morsi announced that Brotherhood supporters would stay in the square until the Election Commission stated who won the election, all the while insisted that it was himself.

A stand off seemed to be building between the Brotherhood and the military just as the Uranus Pluto square was about to go exact. Morsi and the Brotherhood had tens of thousands of dedicated and passionate supporters in the square who were armed with guns and anger and were not going anywhere. The military had played their hand, dissolving the Parliament, making sure their candidate could run, and on Friday June 22 called on Egyptians to accept the result of the elections when it was announced. The energy felt like the two sides were having a stare-off daring the other side to blink.

First it was announced that the election results would be give on Friday the June 22. Friday came and the date was moved to Saturday. Tensions increased. Saturday came and it was announced that the results would now be given on Sunday at 3pm. Tensions increased further. People in Egypt became even more afraid the military was trying to work out a coup, and safety on the streets became questionable. All Saturday night gunshots could be heard around Tahrir. The streets of Cairo were empty starting on Thursday the 22nd as everyday Egyptians stayed home, afraid of what would happen in Egypt.

Amidst all this uncertainty Hosni Mubarak died a couple of times. Starting Tuesday night the rumor mill kept spreading word he had died. As news organization confirmed he was not dead, the next day a new rumor would spread announcing he had finally died that day. This only added to Egyptians concerns that the military was trying to distract people while they made their move.

Finally, on June 24, just as the Uranus-Pluto square was going exact, the Election Commission announced that Mohammed Morsi had won the election and was president of Egypt. Tahrir Square erupted in cheers, fireworks exploding overhead. It felt like a big release of energy. Celebrations went on late into the evening. The next morning the square was empty and Egypt had returned to business as usual.