Egyptians are suffering psychologically, because of the current political uncertainty. But professors and political activists think this is only normal at a time of change, and they call on all the political parties not to do anything that might divide society. “The public are considered to be ‘a body without a brain', as they are not the main generator of political events,” according to Ehab Fekry, a crisis management expert. "The changes in the society are governed by the three other major players: the SCAF, the two presidential candidates and activists. "The three players must behave in an unbiased way, in order to ensure stability, so that the public don't get angry, as this could spark another crisis.” Egyptians are debating the possible outcome of the presidential elections and the ruling against the ousted president, sentenced to 25 years in jail, and his sons Alaa and Gamal Mubarak, who were exonerated by the court. Fekry says that we cannot describe the people's reactions as chaotic. "Many people don't want Mubarak's last prime minister, Ahmed Shafiq, nor the Muslim Brotherhood candidate, Mohamed Morsi, to be president. This is only natural in a democratic state,” he stresses. “The runoff will be held in less than a fortnight's time. We're not living in chaos and we're experiencing a very normal kind of democratic transition, the sort you find in any democratic country.” The second player – the two presidential candidates – also have a key role to play. "They must bear in mind the fact that they are both responsible for easing the tension and restoring stability," Fekry told the Egyptian Mail. Experts on political psychology stress that the competing political powers must use strategic thinking and admit their faults. "The presidential elections are the desire of all Egyptians. They are a big political operation, that doesn't depend on a single charismatic character," says Qadri Hanafi, a professor of political psychology at Ain Shams University, noting that this is something positive learned from the first round in the elections. The reaction of real opponents to political change has been minor, while many people are uncertain whether to join in the protest marches, boycott elections or vote for the one candidate they believe to be the lesser of two evils. "It's all a farce," says Amal Nagati, 50, a manager who was surprised by the first-round election results and the verdicts against Mubarak and his sons. As for Khaled Salah, an Egyptian living abroad, he says that, although he thinks the results have been rigged in Ahmed Shafiq's favour, Egyptians should go ahead with their democratic transition. Professor Hanafi explains that there will be no change if there's no hope, adding that some Egyptians are now talking as if the revolution has fizzled out. “We must have hope and it must be accompanied by guarantees from Shafiq and Morsi,” he stresses. Some individuals are using the media and social networking sites to steer people towards either one of the candidates. As for the role of the media in marketing certain characters, Fekry explained that Shafiq and Morsi got more flak on Facebook than most of the other candidates in the first round of the presidential elections. “Ironically, this actually worked in their favour, as many people in this conservative society felt sympathy for them. It's better to focus on the positive things about each candidates rather than their faults, in order to make the right decision," he added.
