Between Coup and Revolution: the Egyptian Political and Legal Debacle
With the current political quandary in Egypt, the disagreements about the definition, legal and political implications of designating the seizure of state power as a “coup d’état” have once again re-emerged. In this article I argue that the removal of President Mohamed Morsi is a coup. Currently both the anti-Morsi and pro-Morsi camps have broad-based support. Nonetheless, without the involvement of the armed forces, the protests by the opposition camp would not have created political pressure sufficient enough to bring about the resignation or removal of the President. Hence, the overthrow of president Morsi does not fulfil the basic elements of a revolution. Instead, it reflects the imposition of the will of a few over those who won a democratic election a year ago. When a military establishment that has ruled a country for five decades effectively removes an elected president, such an action constitutes a classic example of a coup. Furthermore, the current situation in Egypt may ultimately culminate in clashes that destabilize the entire country and alienate the army from the wider population. An army, that portrays an image of a respected professional non-political vanguard of the country, may lead Egypt into a situation that it abhors most.