Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Egypt and Democracy: Triangulations, More Triangulations and Libya

Yesterday was reported the new ministry appointments. Most of which seemed like old regime appointees reshuffled with some relatively powerless posts going to the opposition.

The opposition, still aware of the existence of the regime through these machinations, called for another march today (Tuesday). Per reports, several million are in the streets.

Apparently acknowledging the potential mis-step of these appointments, the Supreme Military Council now says "oops - that was just a proposal, not the final list". It may have been helped along by Britain's Prime Minister Cameron's visit on Monday. Some reports suggested that Cameron came along with some defense contractors. Was he putting pressure on the Egyptian military again? Or was that a bribe.

In the meantime, whether to secure the border and control the flow of refugees or in response to public demands, the Egyptian Army announced that it has set up refugee camps and hospitals at Salum.

In the meantime, the Egyptian interim government is increasing public workers' salaries and, as the world investment concerns worry that Egypt's economy is likely to be less liberal, stuck between its socialist, centralized economy and the "top down" liberalization that stopped at the top, leaving the rest of the Egypt to struggle. Even as the ETF announces gains as hopeful investors imagine their chance to make inroads into the new reality that is "free" Egypt.

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