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Editorial
Egypt should serve as lesson on peaceful succession
Friday, February 4, 2011
It's easy to criticize our system of government, but the current crisis in Egypt should help bring some perspective.
The country has been under "Emergency Law" since 1967, and Hosni Mubarak has been in power since Anwar El-Sadat was assassinated in 1981 after making peace with Israel.
Mubarak promised election reform in 2005, but had his main opposition, Ayman Nour, arrested after the election.
Mubarak had been grooming his son to be his successor, but the current unrest, controlled only by the intervention of the military, makes that unlikely. Recent moves to prevent media from reporting on events in Egypt show how repressive and unwilling to support a free, open government those in power really are.
With the exception of Israel, a true democracy in the Middle East is virtually non-existent; most countries are governed by and for ruling families that maintain control through civil police and the military.
The turmoil in Egypt should make us that much more grateful for our own system of government and determined to make sure the rule of law prevails.