Egyptian opposition pressing for more concessions

TEHRAN,Dec.19(MNA)--Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi finally decided to annul his controversial decree after it sparked massive protests and street clashes across Egypt. The decree, which gave Morsi sweeping powers, was criticized by some observers as a sign of his inexperience and political naïveté. Morsi and his party, the Muslim Brotherhood, have been very popular in Egypt for many decades, but this year was the first time they officially took control of a government and such mistakes are bound to be made when a new group comes to power. Morsi’s popular support in the 2012 presidential election was not so great, and many people did not even bother to vote. Thus, he had to be aware that his decision to increase presidential powers would not be welcomed by all groups and parties. The opposition has kept the pressure up on Morsi, even after he decided to revoke some parts of the decree. They even called for a boycott of the referendum on the draft constitution. The opposition is making all these efforts in order to undermine Morsi’s position and decrease the popularity of the Muslim Brotherhood. Western governments and their regional proxies are supporting the opposition because they are afraid of the Islamists’ increasing influence in Egypt and the impact of this development on movements and nations in the region. Along these lines, Morsi’s successful mediation in the recent Gaza war raised his profile, and this may cause more problems for Western governments in the Middle East. Bearing all this in mind, Morsi’s retreat on the presidential decree will probably not calm down the situation because the opposition will press for more concessions and this could weaken Morsi’s position in the future. The secular and pro-Western groups in Egypt are completely opposed to the idea of an Islamist government ruling the country, and they will continue to challenge Morsi’s government, no matter how much the Islamists are ready to compromise on their positions. Mir Masoud Hosseinian is a senior expert at the Iranian Foreign Ministry’s Institute for Political and International Studies. (By Mir Masoud Hosseinian)