Historical Election for Egypt
Today and tomorrow, Egyptians will choose between thirteen candidates for President. Egypt’s citizens will finally have a choice outside of the despised Hosni Mubarak for the first time in decades.
A far cry from western democracy, Egyptians are threatened with a sixteen dollar fine if they do not vote in the election. Moreover, activists are voicing criticism of the government’s ability at all to give the people free choice for a new leader.
One young protester, Sarah Hawas, states: “It's extremely difficult for anyone that has been struggling in this revolution from day one to trust — even superficially — that these elections mean anything but a referendum for continued military control.” Despite the undercurrents of suspicion and hefty impending fines for non-voters, the country could use some stability and benefit from transparency in the election process. And with a competitive race, a runoff has already been scheduled for June 16th and 17th.
Following the ousting of Mubarak and recent uproar, this fundamental election has all the potential to be a turning point in Egypt’s history.
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