The U.S. Secretary of State, Hilary Clinton, is set to visit the war torn country of Egypt tomorrow, as she tries o assist the local government into a transition towards a democratic nation. Clinton is scheduled to talk with military leaders and urge them to make the necessary changes in order for a democratic government to be successful. She is also there to offer her support to the citizens who overthrew the dictator, Hosni Mubarak.
This visit will be the first political visit of the U.S. since the president was dethroned more than a month ago. Clinton will also be the highest ranking official that the U.S. has sent since the change of governments. Mubarak had been a close ally to the United States, but the Secretary of State has been recently heard on speeches in support of the new government while offering her advice and knowledge on the difficulties of building a democracy.
“Transitions to democracy are fraught. Jobs and economic opportunities do not materialize overnight. Democratic dreams can be dashed by new autocrats or ideologues who use violence or deception to seize power or advance an undemocratic agenda,” Clinton said in a speech on Friday, “Elections only work if their results are respected and if they are embedded in a durable democratic framework of strong institutions, the rule of law, a vibrant civil society, and human rights protections for everyone,” she added.
On Tuesday, Clinton is scheduled to meet with Egypt’s Foreign Minister, Nabil Elaraby, then with other social activists. Many assume that the United States is concerned about the upcoming election, which is currently being run by the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces. The council is chaired by Defense Minister and Field Marshal Mohammed Hussein Tantawi. The military council had dissolved parliament and suspended the constitution.
The council had also mapped out a quick but decisive schedule, with the constitutional amendments and its voting to take place in March 19, the parliamentary elections to occur in June and a Presidential vote to occur just six weeks later. All these elections will take place in a short span of just 6 months since Mubarak’s ouster.
There are many critics to the “rushed” schedule that the council has put up. Political parties are worried that this may not be enough time for them to organize and group together. While the council seems to have no interest in hanging on to power, many analysts, including the US government, believes that a slower and a more careful transition might benefit them more in terms of having a fair election and having better constitutional reform.
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