The Third Merit

The army controls every road junction in Cairo today as Egypt's parliamentary elections begin. President Sisi refers to them as 'the third merit' of his overthrow of his predecessor in office President Mursi. Modestly, he does not refer to the ousting itself as a merit, but does refer in these terms to his own election as president and the adoption of an amended constitution that have both occurred in the fifty-three months since the coup. It was called a roadmap at the time but the map reader clearly got lost for over two years and accumulated multiple demerits along the way.

The parliament will be a mix of returning corrupt Mubarak-ites (many of whom have paid a 'peace and reconciliation' fine to be able to stand), many other private individuals with significant means to run an influential campaign, a significant component of presidential appointees, and a larger but still minority block from the political party lists which are weak and fragmented.

The result will be a very weak parliament - by presidential design - that will be incapable of restraining the president or holding him to account.

Sisi has asked everyone to come out and vote which will further legitimise him and his hobbled creation. He says it will be a way to honour the martyrs of the revolution although the 'R' word is not used, 'Rally for the martyrs who sacrificed their souls for a country that befits us, for a child who awaits us to deliver him a promising future.'

Those are rich words from someone who has trampled the hopes of the Arab Spring into the Cairo dust. His measures have included outlawing the last president's political party, forbidding any form of association in the street above a handful without state permission, allowing for the court martialling and perpetual imprisonment of any young adult civilian who paints graffiti on a railway station building, ejecting thousands of Egyptian inhabitants from their homes without notice or compensation on or near the Sinai border with Israel, and tolerating a politicised judiciary to imprison journalists and photographers on non-existent evidence. When any, including the Al Jezeera reporters, have been released, it has been by the country's saviour arriving on his white presidential horse with pardons in his saddle bag.

Participation rates on all voting occasions since Sisi came on the scene have fallen, particularly among the young. Their alienation will be confirmed in these coming months when the voting patterns and election results become known at the end of January.

Another sorry state.

Note: My shot today was taken a few minutes before a soldier in desert camouflage filled the windscreen of our taxi with his machine gun pointing in the direction of my right shoulder as he controlled our access onto 6th October Bridge. He stared at me for long moments from under his helmet and I kept my iPhone firmly on my lap albeit I had the photo app open and the opportunity for a shot was well neigh irresistible. Dd should be proud of my restraint. It's one of those images destined for the photo journal stored in my retina - his red insignia made a lovely eye-catch against the desert hues of his tunic. Instead, you will have to make do with the Koran on the dashboard.