Doaa El-Bey and Rasha Saad present an assessment of the results of Egypt's presidential elections and the massacre in the Syrian town of Al-Hawla Newspapers wrote on the controversy surrounding the results of the first round of the presidential elections which left voters with two options: vote for Mohamed Mursi who of the Muslim Brotherhood (MB) or Ahmed Shafik, part of the previous regime brought down by the revolutionAl-Youm Al-Sabei on Tuesday quoted members of the activist group 6 April as saying people sacked [Hosni] Mubarak's regime and is capable of uprooting the remnants of his regime. Al-Masry Al-Youm noted on Monday 'Run-off faces contests and conditions', and Al-Akhbar had 'Revolutionary powers ask Mursi to concede; others call for selecting Hamdeen and Abul-Fotouh vice presidents'. Al-Ahram on Sunday said in its banner that the race of coalitions took off in an attempt to conclude the run-off, and Al-Wafd wrote 'Secret coalitions will conclude the second round'. Abbas El-Tarabili looked at the surprises that the elections witnessed, namely that both Amr Moussa and Abdel-Moneim Abul-Fotouh lost, while Hamdeen Sabahi, whom he described as the dark horse, managed to take more votes than expected either because voters reject the Islamists or supported whoever wanted to save the revolution.Mursi took most of the votes from the MB which showed that the group is heading towards monopolising power in Egypt. However, the biggest surprise for El-Tarabili is that more than half the voters decided not to take part in the first round.The big question that he raised in the light of the results of the election was whether there is hope to save the revolution. He noted that the Islamist votes would unite in support of Mursi and that would increase his chances. The MB would also bank on the disarray of the liberal vote and its inability to agree. "Thus, will the revolutionary powers allow the Islamists to take the revolution step by step or will they give in and hand their revolution to the trend that wants to monopolise all authority?" El-Tarabili asked in Al-Wafd, the mouthpiece of the opposition Wafd Party. If that happened, he added, Egypt would live under Islamist reign for at least 30 years. El-Tarabili concluded his argument by stating that the revolutionary powers can save the revolution. Galal Aref emphasised that the shock that hit the people because of the results of the elections should not cause them frustration or despair. "The whole scene indicates that we are before a rebirth of the revolution which would overcome all the obstacles and win for Egypt what we yearn for, an Egypt that respects freedom and human dignity," Aref wrote in the official daily Al-Akhbar. It is enough, Aref elaborated, to look at the most important fact: people decided their future by their own hands. After all what happened to the revolutionary powers during the last 15 months is that they managed to impose themselves as the biggest election bloc and took 40 per cent of the votes. However, he added, "that does not mean that we ignore the results of the election which put us before the hardest of options. The way out is via agreement on making the coming president stay for a shorter term, be it till the end of next year. During that transitional period, the constitution should be drafted and a referendum held on it. That period would also be a chance to restore security and stability and resolve the economic problems." Aref said the suggestion was presented immediately after the revolution. He wondered whether it would be heard this time or would fall on deaf ears again. Mahmoud El-Alaili wrote the results of the first round of the elections left us between the hammer of the MB and the anvil of the old regime -- and both are undemocratic and totalitarian. However, what attracted El-Alaili's attention is that the big institutions -- be it the MB or the state -- managed to succeed in this election. And that, as the writer pointed out, may seem like a positive development that put us together with respectable countries that have institutions that present practical programmes. But the fact on the ground indicated something completely different because the winners presented illusive programmes that are not conducive to tangible results. The MB has a programme which could be presented to voters in Nigeria or Finland or anywhere else, whereas Shafik harped on the hearts of a frightened public by presenting a security plan. "That proves that it is not programmes or ideas that make a candidate win, but a strong election machine that allows a candidate to reach a wide number of people and recruit effective election blocs," El-Alaili wrote in the independent daily Al-Masry Al-Youm. And it is only the MB and the state that possess these powers at present. That's why people are now before two options, the best of which is still sour. Abdel-Atti Ahmed agreed with El-Alaili that, "we are before two unpopular options especially for voters who do not belong to the MB and at the same time do not want Mubarak's regime back. Who the voter should vote for, the writer wondered, to those who insisted on controlling the constituent committee which will draw up the constitution and distance all other political powers in a way that brings to memory the practices of the disbanded National Democratic Party (NDP). Should they give their vote to those who want to snatch all authority and monopolise power or those who want to re-establish the Islamic caliphate and are described as magicians or infidels. Although Ahmed did not provide any answers to his questions, he called for respecting the results of the run-off especially when everybody involved in the elections praised the fairness and transparency of the process. In search for a way out of the sour options ahead, Mona Mina agreed with those who said that we support Mursi provided that he provides pledges and take tangible steps towards implementing them. First, Mina noted that she saw no difference between the behaviour of the MB and the NDP in bribing voters, describing the protesters as thugs, and claiming that protests impeded production and failed in their attempt to issue a law that outlaws demonstrations. However, the MB can be elected provided that it takes steps like forming the constituent committee, Mina wrote in the daily Al-Shorouk.
