UUSC Supports the Egyptian People in Transition to Real Democracy

UUSC continues to support its partners on the ground in Egypt as they begin the hard work of transitioning their country into a free and open democracy. We stand in solidarity with the Egyptian people as they continue their struggle in this new phase. The task of unseating Hosni Mubarak was a major accomplishment and should be celebrated.

While this first key task has been accomplished, a long road lies ahead for the people of Egypt. The Supreme Council of Armed Forces met some of the protestors' demands on Sunday, dissolving the parliament established by Mubarak, suspending the constitution and drafting a new one for a popular referendum, and announcing that elections will be held within six months. In the meantime, they announced that the country will be run by the military on a provisional basis. The military has not yet lifted emergency rule, which the protestors also demanded. Major challenges for the protestors include holding the military leadership accountable and ensuring that a transition to a civilian-led government is completed as quickly as possible. This is a complex process made even more complicated by the fact that many of the men on the Council were handpicked by Mubarak himself.

The anti-Mubarak activists must now begin coordinating a strategy for the next steps, including a clear transition plan. The protests were largely organized by young activists who used Internet and social-media tools to spark the movement and grew to include all interested parties, such as the Muslim Brotherhood, human-rights activists, and civil-society groups. Currently, there is no general agreement on how to proceed; some people are calling for further protests to keep the military accountable, while others are calling for the creation of a list of demands for negotiations with the military-run government. It is critical that these disparate groups find an effective way to work together to determine the path forward.

While we celebrate the amazing success of the Egyptian people in peacefully ousting Mubarak and setting a precedent for the possibility of real democratic change in the Middle East and North Africa, we are aware that the road ahead is complicated and challenging. UUSC continues to monitor the situation and work with our partner the Hands Across the Mideast Support Alliance to determine the best way to support their struggle for positive change in Egypt. UUSC thanks all of our members who took action in solidarity with the Egyptian people.