One of the practical lessons, which the January revolution managed to give not only to the world but also to Egyptians themselves, is the power of ‘unity in diversity' when the nation's interest is at stake. However, the Egyptians still seem to stun the world with their ability to go from one to another extremity in a short time. Some fifteen months following the revolution the political scene spells nothing but anarchy, egoism and a thirst for power. The approaching presidential election is generating a show of power that has no room so far for unity. While, the Muslim Brothers have thrown a bombshell by nominating a presidential candidate from within the group, there are speculations about the nomination of Omar Soleiman, vice-president to Mubarak and the intelligence strongman in the ousted regime. Word has also spread about an Islamist alliance where the rising Salafi star Sheihk Hazem Salah Abu Ismail is being persuaded to act as vice-president to help channel the votes of his supporters to Khayrat el-Shater, the Muslim Brotherhood candidate. On the other hand, moderate candidates with or without an Islamic reference, such as Abdel-Moneim Abul Fotouh, Hamdin Sabahi and Amr Moussa have not made any attempt to mobilise efforts behind one single candidate in order to avoid the disintegration of votes for this bloc. Each one of them is speaking of co-operation yet is unwilling to withdraw from the race in favour of another. Though a presidential council incorporating a president and two or three vice presidents might be a way out in the face of Islamist candidates, no step has been taken in this direction. Amid the current blurred picture and expectations of more surprises, the supreme national interest is regrettably being pushed aside for the sake of personal ambitions.
