Pro-democracy Egyptian protestors fear army will install a ‘new Mubarak’ to cling on to power

CAIRO - Amid concerns that the current military regime in Egypt is strongly anti-reformist, the pro-democracy protestors fear that the army would promote a candidate as a “new Mubarak” in a presidential election later this year.

Many people in the country are of the opinion that the military would not give up the privileges that they had enjoyed during the 30 years rule of ousted President Hosni Mubarak even though they insist that fair elections would be held in the country soon.

Last week, there were signs of growing friction between protesters and soldiers. Many revolutionists broke a long-standing taboo by openly criticizing men in uniform, The Telegraph reports.

Praising protesters who spent weeks risking their lives in Tahrir Square, Mohammed Foud Gadalla, a Professor of international law, said: “The revolution is not finished yet, and we don’t want the army to take over here.”

Gadalla further called for the cabinet of Mubarak appointees to be dismissed immediately and for the scrapping of an emergency law, which allows for arbitrary arrest.

The greatest fear among the protestors is that the military, which is now in charge of the country, will encourage a retired soldier or a figure from the old regime to run as President.

“We went onto the streets on Friday in part to keep the military in check. We are going out to show who is behind this victory, and to show what we can do,” Ahmed Naguid, one of those who started the Facebook page popularizing the revolution, said. (ANI)