The Hill News

Today Egyptians celebrate the first anniversary of the uprising that ended three decades of authoritarian rule under Hosni Mubarak. In its rocky aftermath, the army took control, but the transitional process it set up created major advantages for Islamist parties, which were the only ones ready to run in elections. Egypt’s transition hasn’t gone as smoothly as Tunisia’s, and as the country’s economic situation grows more dire, the army has sought to wash its hands of its executive responsibilities as soon as possible.

So the outcome of Egypt’s first free elections since 1950 came as little surprise: Islamists won a majority of seats, with the Muslim Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice Party winning a plurality. The FJP ran on a highly egalitarian platform, promising respect for democratic processes, gender equality and equal rights for Christians and other minorities.

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