The Creation of a Dynasty: Egypt and Mubarak

Elections have just been held in Egypt, taking place last week. The results were a foregone conclusion, with the party of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak winning a whopping 97% of of the seats in parliament. Those few who hoped that the election would open up the country to a more free democratic political process  have been sorely disappointed.

Egypt's political history in the first half of the 20th century was dominated by British influence. The Suez Canal was regarded as an essential route to India - the jewel of the British Empire - and control of Egypt was seen by the British government as essential to the defense of India.

In 1952, a coup by several army officers toppled the regime of King Farouk, who was supported by Britain. A republic was established, and elections held. The fledgling democracy did not last long, however, as social and economic tensions led to crises that the government proved ill equipped to solve. Another coup brought the regime of Colonel Nasser to power. He ruled until his death in 1970; his government was a thinly disguised military dictatorship. His successor, Anwar Sadat, ruled in much the same fashion until he was assassinated in 1981. Since then, Hosni Mubarak, the current President of Egypt, has been in control.

Now aging, he is seeking to place his son in the Presidency. While democracy has never been the rule in Egypt since Nasser's seizure of power, the succession of Mubarak's son would create a dynasty, returning the country to a state of monarchy for the first time in nearly 60 years.

The developments place the United States and the administration of President Obama in a difficult situation; Egypt is an important ally in the region, and receives billions of dollars in foreign aide each year, including military aide. The accusations of widespread ballot stuffing and election fraud cast the United States' mission of spreading democracy in a hypocritical light, making it more difficult for the US to pressure other repressive governments to open up to a more democratic process.