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(Image Source: The New York Times / Tara Todras-Whitehill)
BY CHRISTIAN BRYANT AND STEVEN SPARKMAN
Now that Egypt's first democratically-elected leader has been removed from power, analysts
from around the world have begun to wonder — what's next for Egyptian democracy?
In his address to the country, General Abdul Fattah Al-Sisi said the military's goal is
to make Egyptian politics more open and democratic. (Via BBC)
A military coup would mean a full takeover by the Egyptian army, but military leaders
have said they don't want the power itself, and have been careful to avoid calling the move
a coup.
"It is ... not military coup at all. It is the will of the Egyptians who are supported
by the army." (Via CNN)
But as Egyptians continued celebrating in the streets, reports started rolling in that
concerned many Western observers.
Like this post from Al Jazeera saying, a little after 1 a.m., their Egypt service was forcibly
shut down.
"This is quite a surprising move, given that the revolution was all about freedom of speech.
Now we're seeing security forces storming the building during a live broadcast and arresting
the presenters, the guests and the producers."
And Al Jazeera isn't alone. Egyptian newspaper Ahram Online reports one Muslim Brotherhood-owned
TV station and at least two other Islamist-backed stations were also shut down.
Military forces are also reportedly targeting political leaders. In the hours after Morsi
was overthrown, reports came out the head and deputy of the Muslim Brotherhood party
had been arrested. (Via The Telegraph)
So what does it all mean? Much of that depends on whether the military stays true to its
word. But a Harvard Law School professor says the cheering crowds should be careful that
the rule of law doesn't get replaced by rule of mob.
"You might think that replacing an unpopular, Islamist leader with a secular judge is a
victory for democracy. It isn't. In a functioning democracy, there is an orderly constitutional
process for protesting and removing a leader." (Via Bloomberg)
But another law professor cited by American outlets Wednesday, this one from Georgetown
University, has a different take, saying it was the Muslim Brotherhood that sidestepped
the rule of law — and was properly punished for it by the public.
"...the Egyptian people have proved extraordinarily adept students of democracy. It's true that
deposing an elected president after just one year in office is hardly ideal. ... But given
the alternatives, the Egyptian people acted wisely." (Via Los Angeles Times)
The situation is still changing quickly in the country, and while the Muslim Brotherhood
has said it won't respond to the military's actions with violence, the U.S. has ordered
all non-essential embassy personnel to leave the country.