Egypt’s Shameful Election Bans May Save Its Democracy
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April 23 (Bloomberg) -- When is a democracy not ademocracy? Here’s one answer: If you’re free to vote for any ofthe candidates on the ballot, but your favorite candidate isblocked from running.
Egypt seems to have taken a big step down the path ofundemocratic democracy. Its Supreme Presidential ElectoralCommission blocked three of the most important, viable andpotentially popular candidates from the presidential electionsslated for late May. This upended the field and cast thepolitical process into disarray. It all but ensured that thenext president of Egypt will be a weak one, destined to defer tothe military even if the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (doyou sense a “Supreme” theme?) renounces formal politicalpower.