"However, as SCAF prepares to transfer authority to popularly elected civilian leaders following a tumultuous period of transition, the Egyptian military is still the most potent political force in Egypt. The struggle to bound military power and to assert civilian supremacy will take years and is by no means assured. The presidential election is an historic milestone and a necessary prerequisite in that transition, establishing an additional center of elected authority. Following the hand over, SCAF will be forced to operate in more discreet fashion and its ambitions will be challenged by other political actors. But its approach to the presidential election should serve as an indication that SCAF will continue to exercise power selectively from behind the scenes and that limiting its political role and influence will be among the key tests for whether Egypt’s multi-year transition will be deemed a success."
Michael Wahid Hanna is a fellow
at The Century Foundation. He focuses on issues of international security,
human rights, post-conflict justice and U.S. foreign policy in the broader
Middle East. Source of quotation
and full article here.
Image: Nasser Nasser/AP
