On Thursday and Friday we knew that several army officers “between 3-5” have gave up their weapons and joined the protesters in Al Tahrir. These officers now can be subjected to military tribunal for disobeying their orders and we as the people of Egypt want them to be safe.
The most famous officer of them is major Ahmed Shoman who spoke on Al Jazeera and also in the internal radio of Al Tahrir square against Mubarak, Soliman and even minister of defense praising general Sami Anan.
Here is also an exclusive interview with Shoman thanks to the RNN showing a huge political awareness and also rebeliance if you can say.
He is insisting that there are many officers like him who are organizing themselves. Shoman has become the most famous Egyptian army officer in Egypt last Thursday literally.
We are so concerned on Shoman .
I do not think that the army council or generals read my blog but I beg them as Egyptian citizens to consider the fact that these officers especially major Shoman are Egyptian citizens in the end wearing a military suit whose first and last loyalty to Egypt.
There is a Facebook event currently in Egypt which is actually a petition to the Egyptian army to forgive these officers.
Among the reasons I believe why the army stood against Mubarak is that its commanders know very well that the officers like Shoman will not accept this and they may revolt against them and against Mubarak leading a coup.
God bless Egypt , the Egyptian people and the Egyptian army.
For Egypt, Are Elections the Way Forward?
ReplyDeleteThe people of Egypt are standing at an historic crossroad. But to hear other people tell it, Egyptians are travelling down the highway to democracy. They’ve been stalled for decades but now their engines are revving and they are all but on their way to western style democracy. First stop: free and fair elections.
To all those who died and sacrificed, it would be a disservice to commence this trip without fully examining the destination and any and all alternatives. Required reading before you embark on this journey is Animal Farm by George Orwell. Moral: If new people are put into any version of the same system, no matter how reformed, you will eventually end up with the same results. The problems may be to a lesser degree, more benign, but you will not have the freedom for which people died.
As an American who dabbled in local politics, consider this my postcard from Destination: Democracy. I don’t wish you were here. Sure, I have a vote; I have a voice, but it is not heard. If you have a voice which you can’t use, are you in a worse position than one who can use their voice, unheard? What is the difference?
"Although Bahrain has a parliamentary system, many Shias feel elections have only served to co-opt them into the political system and did not improve their access to government jobs and services." (http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2011/02/201121251854857192.html - 2-12-11)
So, apparently, no difference. Free elections only encourage those who would, to achieve power, do and say anything, those with no scruples, the lowest of our low. Anyone who says they want to run for a political office should be immediately disqualified from politics. The process of running for office does not appeal to anyone who is, at heart, a good honest person. Isn’t that who we need now, good honest people?
There should never be a political class, a group of people who make their living as politicians. The political class is insulated, protected from the very people whom they are supposed to represent. How then, can politicians represent people?
Is there another way, a different road to take? First, decide what your destination is. For the voices of the people to be heard. For the will of the people to be enacted. To be free; to rule ourselves.
Well, it’s clear that free democratic elections won’t get you there. I suggest the direct route. Fill all political offices by lottery. It works for jury duty. I haven’t heard of that system being corrupt, beyond people trying to get undeserved exemptions. It works for military duty except, again, people trying to get exempted.
The people of Egypt could vote on the framework of the system. Who is included in the pool? How often can people from the same family be eligible for duty? Should eligibility for national positions rotate geographically?
During a term officers should receive a stipend equal to %200 of their salary from the previous year. They should continue to live in their house amongst their neighbors. It should be seen as a simple matter of changing jobs . Then after they have served a term or two they will go back to their old job.
Enough! of political intrigue and manipulation. Enough! of corporate interests before those of the people. Enough! of rule by the rich for the rich. Politicians are a scourge and they do not represent people. We the people should start to begin to represent and rule ourselves. In this age of crowdsourcing we know that we can create, we can collaborate. Yes, WE can. Not ‘we can get him elected to change things’; WE can make change.
If you don’t take this opportunity to now try something new you will regret it. For the highway to democracy is actually a ring road. Eventually you will end up where you started and you will see your grandchildren in Tahrir Square. But, they will go home unsuccessful, unheard. Because, they will live in a democracy and they will have a vote.
Expert political analysts have indicated that serious cracks started to appear between upper Egyptian senior military brass and the lower ranking young officers which forced the the army to ease out Mubarak from power.
ReplyDeleteThe upper military brass and those connected to them enjoy enormous privileges and wealth compared to lower ranked officers and unless the upper brass does something about this situation, there may be more problems ahead.
The Egyptian revolutionary heroes should always remember that Egypt's last three presidents were military dictators who regressed Egypt's freedom and economy to the ground.
The Canadian.
Good news! So far I have been very sceptical of this military, but this is something:
ReplyDelete"Egypt military council pardons army officer who joined anti-Mubarak protests"
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/5922/Egypt/Politics-/Egypt-military-council-pardons-army-officer-who-jo.aspx