In The Hindu article "Egypt disqualifies 10 from presidential race," the Associated Press attempts to provide as objective a view as possible of the disqualification of Muslim Brotherhood and liberal presidential candidates from the upcoming Egyptian elections. In the wake of Mubarak's ousting, it is necessary to get both sides of the story, so the article notes both that the ousting of extremist views is much like the totalitarian regime that preceded this election, and that some are thankful that more extremist views have been eliminated from the election. (AP, 2012).
Egypt Independent's article, "What's 'left' in the presidential election," notes a distinct lack in leftist political representation in the upcoming election, with many Mubarak-era mainstays now dominating the proceedings. By having these candidates be ousted, it is implied that the remnants of the former dictatorship are attempting to hold onto power by robbing leftist candidates of their ability to run and make progressive changes to the Egyptian government.
WL Central's article "Who's running Egypt?" outright claims that the Mubarak regime is still going strong, with a power struggle occurring between who is left in the former regime and people who facilitated the revolution. Crackdowns in civil policy are touted as a tightening of the government's fist over freedom of expression in the name of enforcing the peace.
Larbi Sadiki's article for Al-jazeera, "Egypt's tipping-point politics," claims that the elites in Egypt are refusing to grab onto the revolutionary ethos that made the Arab Spring such a rousing success despite their struggles. The author states that the revolutionaries are far too violent to make real progress, but if this inspiration and motivation can be combined with a legal democracy, a lasting peace can be achieved in Egypt, not to mention a stable government.
In Dina Ezzat's "Egypt's Copts face tough choices in looming presidential elections," Ezzat focuses on the Coptic Church and how it is adjusting to the impending elections. The author paints Egypt as a country almost fearing the election, as Islamist interests seem as though they will win out, if not Mubarak mainstays. Copts are seen as potential victims, as they would be persecuted regardless of who among the remaining candidates becomes president.
Sarah Lynch's article "Muslim Brotherhood refuses to accept ban" notes that the Muslim Brotherhood will protest their disqualification from the Egyptian elections. This banning is painted as an unfortunate thing, with Brotherhood leaders stating that it is a result of the Mubarak-era policies that need to be changed anyway. The prospect of Omar Suleiman, a former Mubarak operator, being elected president is seen as abhorrent, as many human rights abuses are thought to have been done under his authority.
Jailan Zayan's "Egypt ruler, political heads meet on poll turmoil" notes a meeting between political heads, including some of the disqualified parties, following the disqualification itself. The main issue at hand is the legality and constitutionality of the new legislations that would lead to these disqualifications. In this article, the Muslim Brotherhood is painted as somewhat radical, and Suleiman's alleged crimes against humanity are muted. In these articles, while the anti-Mubarak people are very wary in their reporting regarding the legitimacy of these disqualifications, some are taking more measured approaches, attempting to see both sides of the story. It would seem, however, that many of these articles dispute the legitimacy of the 10 candidates being disqualified.
Works Cited
AP. "Egypt disqualifies 10 from presidential race." The Hindu, April 15, 2012.
Clayclai. "Who's running Egypt?" WL Central, March 11, 2011.
Elmeshad, Mohamed. "What's 'left' in the presidential election?" Egypt Independent, April 15, 2012.
Ezzat, Dina. "Egypt's Copts face tough choices in looming presidential elections. Ahram Online, April 15, 2012.
Lynch, Sarah. "Muslim Brotherhood refuses to accept ban." USA Today, April 15, 2012.
Sadiki, Larbi. "Egypt's tipping-point politics." Al-jazeera, November 24, 2011.
Zayan, Jailan. "Egypt ruler, political heads meet on poll turmoil." The Daily Star, April 15, 2012.
