Egyptian president Morsi may have bought himself time with concessions

Canada Goose online CAIRO With fighter jets swooping over Tahrir Square, the imposition of martial law being threatened and army engineers busily erecting three metre high concrete barriers around the presidential palace Sunday, the struggle for Egypt has entered another phase. Canada Goose online

Canada Goose Outlet President Mohammed Morsi rescinded the part of a special decree early Sunday morning that had allowed him to override the judiciary and canada goose outlet vip had given him close to absolute power. At the same time, the embattled president insisted that a referendum on a draft constitution that would enhance Islam role in public life would still take place next Saturday. Canada Goose Outlet

Canada Goose sale Concluding from this that Morsi continues to press for the Islamization of the government, the National Salvation Front which is comprised of eight left wing, liberal and Christian parties called Sunday for massive demonstrations again Tuesday and urged its supporters to boycott the constitutional referendum. Canada Goose sale

But Morsi’s partial climb down may already be paying dividends. Where tens of thousands of secularists marched last weekend and mid week, only a few hundred protesters turned out Saturday night and again Sunday.

Whether Morsi’s constitutional gambit passes or fails and it is highly likely that it will pass because it has strong support outside Cairo what will remain is a country where distrust and suspicion are more deeply embedded than ever. For example, those who support rival visions for Egypt are canada goose outlet usa now so far apart that their accounts of last Wednesday’s riots, which left as many as six dead and hundreds injured, are so starkly different that it is as if the competing narratives are describing totally different events.

Moreover, the rivals continue to accuse each other of trying to gain support by offering bribes in a country of 82 million that canada goose outlet canada is so poor there is little money available to throw at voters. Each side shouts that the other is trying to highjack democracy, when the truth is that neither side has any idea about what responsibilities and behaviour is expected in democratic societies. Not that this should be surprising in a nation where dictators have ruled for decades.

canada goose Morsi’s high stakes strategy to get the constitution passed quickly and with little scrutiny has further polarized a country that has been badly split since president Hosni Mubarak was overthrown nearly two years ago in a revolution during which Islamists and secularists were briefly united and claimed that they canada goose outlet wanted democracy. The secularists argue the proposed constitution would give Islamic scholars a say in canada goose outlet boston judicial matters and almost totally ignore the rights of women and minorities. canada goose

Whether Morsi can stay on top of Egypt power pyramid may hinge in part on canada goose outlet store uk whether the military will rescue him if secularists try to seize power by force. He may have co opted the generals, at least for the moment, by offering them more powers in the draft constitution.

Until Saturday, the officer corps had said it intended to stay entirely out of Egypt’s post revolution politics. That changed when television programming was interrupted to announce that the military would stop protests if they threatened public order or public institutions.

canadian goose jacket Nevertheless, the military remains philosophically opposed to almost everything that the Brotherhood and their ultra conservative Salafi allies stand for and kept thousands of Islamists in jail during decades of military dictatorship. Therefore any deal canada goose outlet new york city that Morsi has struck with the military comes with potential perils. If the relationship sours, the generals control almost all the guns and all the heavy weapons, are major players in the economy and for all their flaws, remain the only unifying institution in the country. canadian goose jacket

Canada Goose Parka Still, by annulling the decree that had given him more power, Morsi may have bought himself some time. By backtracking, the president may also convince some of the less committed secular protesters that after two years of non stop demonstrations, they are unlikely to win any more concessions. Canada Goose Parka

Canada Goose Jackets Something else www.cg-jacketsale.ca canada goose outlet online reviews to be factored in is that Morsi is being pulled in more than one direction. Many in the Brotherhood and canada goose outlet miami almost every Salafi want Islam to have a much bigger role in Egyptian life and government. The military will only let him go so far down this road. And the United States, whose largesse keeps Egypt’s feeble economy and military going, will undoubtedly be putting its oar in, too. Canada Goose Jackets

uk canada goose The Brotherhood, whose offices in several cities including the capital have been attacked by angry mobs, have declared that holding the referendum will prove that democracy is working in Egypt. The opposition has countered that a constitution is far too important a document for a canada goose outlet near me genuine democracy to not have a thorough public debate and safeguards written in that protect minorities. uk canada goose

canada goose uk outlet The West and western minded Cairenes will not like the result much, but the Brotherhood’s version of Egyptian democracy is the heavy favourite to win this round canada goose uk outlet.