provides a multi-pronged overview of the political, economic and social challenges facing Egypt's first post-Mubarak president, with an emphasis on the everyday problems facing average Egyptians The March 2011 referendum on the constitutional amendments, the parliamentary and presidential elections, the rising conservative-liberal confrontation, the politicisation of the Coptic vote, sectarian incidents, controversy over role of the military in national politics and the surprising recent SCAF-reshuffle, the two constituent assemblies (one dissolved, the other threatened with the same fate) as well as discord on the constitution and the revolution as a whole have left Egypt and its political forces more divided than at any time in Egypt's history. The controversial and underwhelming choice of Hisham Qandil as prime minister as well as the composition of the new Cabinet appear to have only exacerbated the divide. The new president, his deputy and the prime minister will be expected to serve as national mediators and fulcra tasked with a difficult national political balancing act, bringing everyone sufficiently together across the remainder of this volatile transitional phase, hopefully building an adequately strong national consensus and cohesion in moving forward through a time of extraordinary national instability. See also: The Economy Subsidies & the Budget Food Security Fuel & Electricity Shortages Overpopulation Slums & Random Housing Religious Freedoms, Minorities Judiciary & Education The Interior Ministry Freedom of Speech, Media & the Arts Tourism Women's Rights, Street Children The Public Sector & Privatisation Corruption Water Saving Cairo! Healthcare & Hepatitis http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/49608.aspx
