Egypt in Transition: The Role of Women, Military Leadership, and the Challenges to Come

On the first anniversary of the Tahrir Square uprising, Egypt stands at a crossroads. Following recent parliamentary elections, the country appears to be gradually democratizing, yet tough questions remain, especially regarding the role of the historically dominant military. On The Diane Rehm Show on Tuesday, USIP-Wilson Center Distinguished Scholar Robin Wright and former Fellow Samer Shehata spoke to Egypt’s near-term challenges, the role of women in the political process, and whether the military will cede power to new civilian leadership. Listen to the discussion here.

The Muslim Brotherhood and, to an extent, the Salafi Party have taken a pragmatic attitude to the Camp David Accords. Both parties have said they will honor Egypt’s international treaties, as, of course, the military has also said. The question is how much do they want to modify (the terms of the accords), such as the number of Egyptian troops in the Sinai Peninsula, and there is open talk on other issues, such as regarding Egypt’s supply of natural gas to Israel. — USIP-Wilson Center Distinguished Scholar Robin Wright

The military has lost tremendous credibility among the Egyptian people and the international community from the day that Mubarak was removed from office to the present. We have seen incredible violence against civilian protesters on multiple occasions, whether it was the killing of mainly Coptic Christian protesters in front of the Radio and Television Building on November 9 or the weeks of violence that began after a major demonstration on November 19 in which over 40 people were killed, as well as subsequent violence in December. — Former Wilson Center Fellow Samer Shehata of Georgetown explaining his pessimism that the Egyptian military will step aside for civilian leadership