CAIRO: The aftermath of Thursday's Supreme Constitutional Court rulings in Egypt continue to be felt across the country, with activists taking to the street in protest against what they are dubbing a “coup” by the ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF), while others prepare to head to the ballot booth on Saturday and Sunday to vote for the country's first post-uprising president. The face-off between ousted former Hosni Mubarak top official Ahmed Shafiq and the Muslim Brotherhood's Mohamed Morsi has not inspired hope among the liberal left in the country, who have accused the ruling military of allowing the former regime back into politics. They are now in major squares across the country, in full protest mode, against Shafiq's candidacy, the military and the court's decision to cancel parliament, throwing the entire revolutionary gains into limbo. “What are we supposed to do, just accept that the Mubarak era is not over, that our revolution that left over 1,000 people dead was for nothing?” asked Salem al-Gohar, a 38-year-old taxi driver in Tahrir Square. “I will not allow this to happen.” The court's rulings on Thursday came as a shock to the country. While many had expected the court to allow Shafiq, Mubarak's Prime Minister during the 18 days of protests in January and February 2011, the dissolving of parliament was unexpected. And shocking to many who had participated in the democratic process in November and December to elect the new parliament, which had been in power less than 6 months. “I thought we were on the right path, but I guess we need more time and more effort to put pressure on the powers,” said one man in Tahrir, adding that he felt “bad for speaking out against the protesters in recent months. “For me, I was upset because I thought the country was heading in the right direction, but now I see they were right and they knew pressure was needed,” the man added. The court ruled that the “Azl”, or political isolation, law was unconstitutional much to the anger of hundreds of activists who had stationed themselves at the court early on Thursday chanting “void, void” in calling for the law, passed by parliament in April, to be implemented and a new presidential election be held. The ruling means former President Hosni Mubarak's last prime minister, Ahmed Shafiq, can run in Saturday and Sunday's presidential run-off against Muslim Brotherhood candidate Mohamed Morsi. Acting as the country's executive power, the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) amended the parliamentary elections law several times. At issue is the last amendment, which reversed an earlier stipulation that parties could not compete for single-winner seats in the elections that began last fall. Now with parliament uncertain and an election that has seen the former National Democratic Party (NDP) members come out from hiding to voice their open support for Shafiq, activists like Munir are frustrated, but the anger is not only with the protesters in Tahrir. “I spoke to a lot of people who had not liked us in Tahrir the past few months and they are now really supportive, because I think it will be the only chance we have to save Egypt and they know this,” Munir added. Many leading political figures in the country have called Thursday's moves a “military coup.” Former presidential candidate Abdel Moneim Aboul Fotouh said on Thursday evening the moves by the military junta were an obvious military coup. Leading opposition figure Mohamed ElBaradei, who for months has called the entire election process without a constitution in place was a sham. On Thursday, after the court threw the future of Egypt into uncertainty, ElBaradei was quick to reiterate the point, while also warning against dictatorship, alluding to a potential Shafiq president. “Electing president without constitution or parliament means pres has powers unreached by most notorious dictatorships,” he said in response to the court verdict. And with an election to vote for the country's first post-revolution president, to give their oath of office to the military, on Saturday and Sunday, uncertainty seems to reign over Egypt at the present moment.
