The slogan, ‘The people and the Army are one hand', was ubiquitous and reverberated across Al Tahrir Square during the popular revolt that toppled Mubarak. Afterwards, it was revisited on several occasions when religious tensions flared and the much-hated State Security Agency was dismantled. Since Mubarak's ousting, the Army has been rightly perceived as the guarantee of Egypt's transition to democracy. However, the military rulers have been the butt of criticism over the past two weeks, allegedly for restricting freedoms and reneging on their promises for democratisation. Last week, I was asked during two interviews with foreign broadcasters about tensions between the Army and the revolutionaries and how this friction will bode for the future of the country. Like many Egyptians, I firmly believe that, without the Army's decision to side with the people, the anti-Mubarak revolution would not have been accomplished so peacefully. A look at other Arab countries in revolt against their autocratic rulers will ram home this message to sceptics. There, soldiers have been unleashed to brutally crush these uprisings. Right from the beginning, the Egyptian Army has said its rule is interim and will end once the current transitional period is over, i.e. by the end of this year. While some people cast aspersions on the military agenda and certain politicians suggest the ruling Military Council should extend its mandate for at least another two years, the military rulers have reiterated their commitment to their declared agenda, denying any intention to remain in power longer. For one, I take the military at its word. Both Egypt and the Army stand to benefit from ending the military rule as planned. If the military rulers extended their time in power, this would provide fodder for their critics. In the same vein, a prolonged stay will overstretch the Army, whose role is not politics, but securing the national borders. This mission is more crucial now, given the mounting turmoil in the region. The ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces has done well by hosting question-and-answer sessions with revolutionary youth. I think that a big part of the problem is lack of information. Rumourmongering is another part. Young people, who attended the maiden meeting with the Military Council last week, came out with positive feedback. While freedom of expression is a salubrious sign of Egypt's democratisation, powers across the political spectrum should help the Army finish the transitional period as planned, putting Egypt on the threshold of a civilian state and allowing the soldiers to return to their barracks. At the same time, the military rulers should tolerate differences in opinion and even harsh criticism. Given the long oppression under Mubarak, each and every Egyptian is now more than eager to dabble in politics. Egypt now has around 80 million politicians.
