The Daily Star Editorial

Although compressing any enduring social movement into buzz phrases is a risky business, it can be reasonably argued that one of the words to best capture the motivation behind the region’s “Arab Spring” is democracy.
In Egypt, as weeks of protests saw millions of civilians gather across the country to rid it of a brutal autocrat, the people called for greater democracy. They did so irrespective of sect, age, or social status. It was a defining moment for the region and one of the brighter occurrences in Egypt’s recent history.

For the first time in decades, Egyptians got the opportunity Monday to take to the polls and to exact a right that had been denied for too long. Even though the vote was far freer than anything most residents of modern Cairo could recall, it still was a long way from the democracy most participants in the January and February protests probably had in mind.

Holding elections in a country the size and complexion of Egypt is no easy task. But Monday’s vote was unnecessarily hastily organized.

The problems – many of them self-inflicted – that the Supreme Council of Armed Forces have presided over have meant that Egyptian elections are being conducted on inherently uneven ground. Partly through close coordination with SCAF, the Muslim Brotherhood has emerged with a favorite status it is not entirely deserving of.

Granted, the party has been downtrodden for decades and has a large support base, but in a nation where poverty and illiteracy reign, it is not hard to argue that the Brotherhood has used religion to harness further popularity, especially in lieu of a cohesive and relevant alternative for voters.

Given that popular calls for democracy largely transcended religion, it is unfortunate that the biggest share of the spoils has gone to a party predicated on faith. In addition, the fall of Hosni Mubarak has opened doors for more extremist organizations to exploit religious beliefs in what was supposed to be a purely civil arena.

To many Egyptians, parties with religious agendas have stolen their revolution. Such sentiment was evident Monday, as although many thousands turned out to vote, many thousands took to Tahrir Square, the birthplace of the revolution, to protest against the uneven electoral climate, the rule of the military and its appointment as prime minister a relic from Mubarak’s days.

Judging by the unrest that has prefigured the elections, it appears that democracy in Egypt has started out on the wrong footing. Just as most of the country was once united against the old regime, now much of it is divided over how to proceed.

The momentum started Monday could have unintended and dangerous consequences that not only undermine democracy in Egypt but also risk shattering the stability of the state as a whole.