Cairo - The dreams of the Egyptian people reached far and wide when the revolution broke out 15 months ago. The slogan raised at the time, still not fulfilled, expressed three basic requirements: bread signifying a decent living, freedom and social justice. The revolution was a direct and angry reaction to manifold forms of corruption that had mushroomed in society, from the ruling elite all the way down to the man in the street. A feeble call for change had been raised a few years before the revolution, but it gained momentum with the appearance of Mohamed ElBaradei, the former chairman of the nuclear watchdog. Regardless of the controversy about his character and leadership abilities, his role in throwing a stone into a stagnant pond could not be ignored. ElBaradei inspired many young people with the dream of change. It was these young people who stepped forward and toppled the head of the corrupt regime. But the well-known scenario of the transitional phase, which caused the revolution to drift from its originally envisaged course, eventually pushed the instigators of the uprising almost completely out of the picture The rising ebb of Islamists after the revolution and their dominance in the Parliament thanks to organised campaigns and well-felt presence in the street have led to many questions about Egypt as a civil state, since there had always been room for religious, political and ethnic diversity. The launch of a party called ‘The Constitution', founded by ElBaradei, highlights this all-embracing Egyptian identity. The step, although perceived by many as coming somewhat late, has apparently rallied the support and participation of a large number of young revolutionaries, political activists and advocators of a civil state. The party is not expected to leave a stamp on the current entangled events just weeks before the election of a new president. It is however expected to gather competent cadres and a wide politically oriented base capable of fighting for the principles for which the revolution was instigated in the first place.
