How political players see President Morsi

Dr Mohamed Morsi, the first elected Egyptian president to be elected in decades, appeared to reconcile with everyone, both inside and outside Egypt, in his first major speech since winning the presidency. The man was keen to avoid escalations or settling scores. He was avoiding the language of distrust or accusations of infidelity. He saluted the Egyptian military and police – authorities he had always criticised before. He was keen to send messages of amiability and warmth to the various political factions, including the old regime, seemingly to assure them that their hands were not stained with the blood of protesters or the money of the people. He was also keen to dispel the doubts about his stance regarding women and Christians by speaking about the need for equality in society, and more importantly, he promised to commit to implementing the objectives of the revolution right through to the end, calling on Egyptians to accept him as president. Dr Morsi also renewed the commitment of Egypt to all the international treaties, conventions and obligations, reiterating the Muslim Brotherhood’s assurances over the Camp David Accord between Egypt and Israel. After Dr Morsi resigned from the Muslim Brotherhood, there may have been a sign of relief from some international leaders and some Egyptians, who were reluctant to throw their support behind an Islamist organisation. But it was a great move in the sense that it established a new era for Egypt.  Some of the revolutionary powers who began the democratic process last year, including The April 6 Movement, switched sides to Dr Morsi during his presidential campaign, a tactic that is worthy of respect and expresses a high level of maturity and ability to determine the priorities of each stage. Other revolutionary powers preferred to wait to see whether the promises would materialize words turn into actions. But as we know, these promises never came. The West was swift to welcome the new president and expressed willingness to work with him. This is something important although it was expected. It puts Egypt on a track different from that of Hamas in Gaza, who many thought would taint the reputation of the Muslim Brotherhood. Moscow, on the backdrop of the Libyan and Syrian crises and with “Chechen” concerns, is acting as if nothing has happened in Egypt, though many observers say the news about Morsi’s win will not be welcomed by the Kremlin. Iran congratulated the president in the hope of a new Fatah, while Turkey found itself a friend in Cairo.  Doha celebrated Morsi’s win as if it was its own and Saudi Arabia will congratulate the Brotherhood at some point, even if it was not the best outcome they would have hoped for. Israel is monitoring the Egyptian scene closely.  No doubt Morsi’s victory speech focused on peace and hinted at the continued existence of the Camp David Accords, but Egyptian-Israeli diplomacy will, without delay, “test” the extent to which the new president will respect the agreement.  It would be interesting to see how Morsi reacts to a request from Tel Aviv to host a high level delegation to Cairo, but, we will definitely witness this soon. Damascus which is busy with civil unrest, which is quickly turning into a civil war, would have preferred to see Lt General Ahmad Shafiq take the Presidency.  Morsi’s win is bad news for Damascus and may give an indication of the possible end result for Syria, especially as many have warned of an “Americanised Islam” spreading through the region. Hamas, unlike the Palestinian Authority (PA) and the Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO), will strongly support the Brotherhood, both politically and morally. The existence of a Brotherhood president on the top of the pyramid of power in the largest Arab country will encourage the rest of the groups to build momentum and mobilise efforts in order to follow the example of the North African country. The mission of the president-elect will not be easy. The files awaiting him are huge and the Egyptians expectations after the January 25 revolution need a miracle to be achieved.  Morsi will also find himself sinking in a sea of security, military and judicial institutions which were significant authorities under the old regime, especially after the dissolution of the parliament and after the military has tightened its grip on the interim constitution, legislation and presidential powers. As for the regional and international environment that the president will work within, it is certain that he will not help raise the ceiling of expectations, despite his willingness to cooperate.  The region is full of changes, divisions and anticipated wars while the international community is busy with a schedule of priorities that do not include securing work opportunities for millions of the unemployed Egyptians, or better education opportunities for millions of the students.  Soon the jubilation of Morsi’s win will come to an end and the hardest days of the first democratically elected Egyptian president will begin. -- The views expressed by the author do not necessarily represent or reflect the editorial policy of Arabstoday.