If we believe that these presidential elections have been free and fair and that those running the country will truly allow the people of Egypt to have their say, then we have witnessed something wonderful during these recent weeks. Of course, there is no way of knowing if the elections have been fair. There have been enough dirty tricks and behind the scenes deals over the last year to make anyone suspicious of what is really happening. America needed to be pleased, for example, if the money was to keep flowing from outside. The political parties in Egypt needed to be kept a part of the process, at least in the eyes of the people, for the days of transition to pass smoothly. Many cynics have already expressed very clearly the view that nothing much has changed over the last year. In fact, those same cynics have believed all along that the revolution was nothing more than a handing over of power from one element of the former regime to another. According to this view, the people have been led to believe in a transition from dictatorship to democracy, not realising that the same people are now in power who have ruled the country for decades. Even the presidential elections, according to some, are a foregone conclusion. Being fed wildly false opinion polls in recent weeks, people have come to accept that certain candidates are destined to win, whilst others have no experience of government and have nothing to offer the country in its moment of insecurity and chaos. Any taxi driver will tell you that what the country needs right now is security and the only ones to offer this are men of experience who have served the nation in positions of responsibility for years. People in the street will agree with this view but will also add the need for food and jobs. Human rights and freedom of speech are not really top of the list of priorities right now. Public opinion has very cleverly been steered in the direction of stability. Those with most to lose have ensured that most Egyptians put their trust in strength and continuity. So it is that the polls have told us that the most popular candidates are the ones with experience. We will see. The final results are not in. However, there is something much more important at work here than the clever and very cynical manipulation of the public mood. Guiding people to think one way or another has been part of the political process throughout the world for centuries. If those in power believe they are doing something new and that people can't see what is happening then they are wrong. The people of Egypt are not stupid. They have lived through years of dictatorship. They have seen every clever trick and every attempt to fool them. They have seen election after election rigged, with results bearing no relation to votes cast. In fact, in the end, the former regime began to believe its own lies and lost touch with what people were really thinking. We can only hope, then, that these elections have been fair. But what we have seen, whether fair or not, is the blooming of democracy in Egypt. The days of dictatorship are over. Never again will those in power be able to impose their will against the wishes of the people. Democracy is by no means perfect. In fact, it is probably the least bad of all the systems of government. But at least it means that people have a say in what is going on. It will take many years before Egypt's electorate is well educated. People need to be free of the concern for food and security before they can properly address the questions facing the nation. Political parties need to be well established, properly funded and free of interference from external bodies. The judicial system needs to be fully independent in order to give unbiased opinions on who can and can't run for president. There needs to be a Constitution in place that ensures the proper distinction between the legislative, judicial and executive branches of government. But all of this will come with time. Seeing ordinary Egyptians queuing in the hot sun to cast their vote is an experience to be savoured for ever. Those who shed their blood and gave their lives to put an end to tyranny have guaranteed that. Their deaths have changed the face of Egypt for ever. The people will have their say. It has been both amusing and exciting in recent months to hear ordinary citizens arguing loudly on bus and metro as to how the country should be run. Everyone has had an opinion. The beauty of democracy is that no opinions are wrong. Each one has as much a right to speak as the next. No one can be forced to accept something he or she doesn't believe in. Yes, democracy is at work. Will this first experience of democracy produce a perfect result? Will the one elected president have all the answers to solve the many problems facing the country? Will foreign powers finally leave the country alone and allow Egypt to govern itself for the first time in countless years? The answer is probably no to all of these. But at least in these days we have seen a beginning. We have certainly seen an end to the notion that Arab and Muslim nations are somehow incapable of running their own affairs in a civilised and orderly way. Israel has told us for years that it is the only democracy in the region and the only country with anything in common with the nations of the West. Tunisia and Egypt are putting an end to that lie. So the true victor in these presidential polls is not really this candidate or that. One of them will win. No doubt his photo will soon appear on countless billboards all over the country, as is the norm in most Arab dictatorships. But whoever wins this first transitional election to real democracy is not the real winner. His term will be limited and his power will end, like the power of those before him. The real victor will be the people of Egypt. Having thrown off the mantle of tyranny and walking once more with heads held high, the people of Egypt are on the march. This time, unlike the many times before, nothing can stop them. British Muslim writer, Idris Tawfiq, is a lecturer at Al-Azhar University . The author of eight books about Islam, he divides his time between Egypt and the UK as a speaker, writer and broadcaster. You can visit his website at www.idristawfiq.com.
