CAIRO - Mixed reactions are running high ahead of June 30; the first anniversary of President Mohamed Morsi's taking office. Brought under focus in the public debate have been the modes of performance of Dr. Morsi during his first year as an elected president. Supporters argue that President Morsi has inherited a very heavy burden from the former regime, where corruption spread everywhere. They stress the point that no one can actively handle such a messy leftover in such a relatively short span of time as one year. The opposition parties have announced plans to stage a huge march to the presidential palace in Cairo on June 30 and to demand President Morsi step down. "We better wait for his four-year term to come to an end first before jumping to evaluate the situation," says Mohamed Arafat, a bank accountant. The 44-year-old middle class employee believes that what is happening on the side of opposition parties is the distortion of the President's decisions and of Egypt's image abroad. Counter-arguing, opponents maintain that the President rubbed the wrong way at the management of the country and that his performance has been ineffective and slow in the face of many crises. They also believe that the President did not succeed in solving such serious crises facing the nation as dwindling public security together with a marked rise of thuggery, sluggish economic growth and a constrained tourism industry. Emad Hammad, an employee at a private firm, says that the country is getting worse day after day and that business owners continue to suffer from such crises. "We cannot demand any salary increase to meet the hiking prices of goods and services when we are exposed to the risk of layoff as a result of the overall situation," Hammad said. Mohsen Mahmoud, a private shopkeeper, agrees with Hammad, adding that the President stands accountable for the current deteriorating scene of security, stability and prosperity. Mahmoud, 58, says that he knows no crisis that has found its way to a solution – an observation that makes him pessimistic. He makes special reference to the problems of bread production, traffic, unemployment and garbage – problems that he defines as tied to the basic needs of each ordinary citizen. Sabri Nasr, an owner of a workshop, is feeling the pinch too from the opposition. "The President's policy and vision appear vulnerable due to the large number of sit-ins that have been taking place and that have adversely affected the working class," Nasr, 50, said. A movement called Tamarrad (Rebel), has been collecting signatures to withdraw confidence from President Morsi, who hails from the Muslim Brotherhood, and push for early presidential elections. The group recently announced that they managed to collect over 15 million signatures in favour of holding early elections. Maged el-Mansour, a taxi driver, grouses that people rushed off out of the crises and the psychological situation of the Egyptian people are in worst conditions. "We have reached the moment that we do not know what will happen tomorrow. Will we find a glass of water," el-Mansour, 41, asked in surprise. Idris Mohamed, a pensioner, considers that there are no achievements for the President, as all the decisions are off beam that would return the country back hundreds of years. "Although Morsi has failed to fulfil any of the Revolution's goals, as there is neither security nor social justice, yet I refuse any acts of violence that may lead to civil wars," stressed Mohamed, 65. The pro-Morsi supporters said that the most important positives achieved during the first year of the president is solving the bread and butane problems as well as increasing the salaries and the establishment of the Board of Grievances, where petitioners are submitting their complaints. Assem Abdel-Maged, a leading member of the Building and Development Party, the political wing of Al-Jama'a Al-Islamiya launched Tagarrad, Arabic for act selflessly, to counter the Tamarrad campaign. He has called on Morsi's supporters to sign a petition to keep the legally elected president in office. Tagarrad announced on Friday that the campaign has managed to collect 11 million signatures in favour of the legitimacy of President Morsi. Tagarrad explained that these signatures will not go to any entity, but will remain in the possession of the campaign because it delivers a message to the Tamarrad that the latter is not an agent of the people as there are others against them in Egypt.
