(Image Source: Wikimedia Commons)
BY XIAONAN WANG
It’s been a year since a popular uprising toppled the reign of long-time president Hosni Mubarak. But as Egyptians gather to commemorate the anniversary -- there are mixed feelings about what lies ahead.
A CNN reporter says, for some, it’s a day to celebrate, but for others, it’s too early to party.
WEDEMAN: “They want to end military rule. They want the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, popularly known as SCAF, to step down and hand over the power to a civilian body.”
An angry Egyptian talked to Al Jazeera about her disappointment, saying there’s still a lot of work to do.
SALEM “Why would I celebrate when the goal of the revolution has not been realized. We came here one year ago asking for bread, freedom and social justice. Corruption is still everywhere.”
The military has said it won’t step down until June. On euronews, political analyst Hasan Nafaa expressed his concern the generals are obstructing reform to protect their interests.
Nafaa “We’ve entered a democratic procedural phase, and it’s not clear whether it will produce people who truly speak for the revolution.”
Despite widespread pessimism, an article posted to AllAfrica.com notes, some protesters’ demands have been fulfilled.
“Like promised, parliamentary elections then did start to take place, and were described as transparent and fair by observers, who indicated that the minor violations that occurred do not shake the legitimacy of the entire process.”
But as the BBC explains, making predictions about the future of Egypt is potentially problematic -- the situation is a lot more complicated than a year ago.
Leyne: “It’s not just the people versus the government. … Sooner or later, someone is gonna pick up the reigns and take this country forward from the deadlock it’s currently in.”
Mubarak faces charges of corruption and questions about his involvement in protesters’ deaths in the uprisings last year. He is currently on trial, but has pleaded not guilty.
