The myths of participating in the farcical elections

Let’s dismantle the myths and legends related to participating in the elections which seek to justify the military’s bloody path to power in Egypt. There seems to be two major ambiguities surrounding the elections: they tend to create an environment that is favourable; and they facilitate the people’s consumption of certain myths which give them the false impression that they are participating in the political process. Behind these myths stand the army’s guns and a sterile path to a security state, which provides the people with nothing except oppression. The elections, therefore, can be administered within what is now an exceptionally contaminated political environment full of polarisations as a way to advance the state’s repressive policies and neo-fascist military agenda.

I would suggest that the most important of these myths are as follows:

The illusion of electoral benefits: Politicians are calling this theatrical show “elections” but are we really facing a pivotal democratic moment that meets everyone’s conditions? Or are we all part of a de facto ruler’s plot to gain control in the name of “saving the country”? Can we compare the open elections that took place two and a half years ago to the current farce? We know all too well that these elections are not genuine and that the electoral process has been hijacked to give us fake results.

The illusion of security and stability: They are trying to convince the general public in Egypt that these elections are being held for the sake of security and stability just as they tried previously to convince us that the constitution was rewritten for the same purposes. However, instead of voting on constitutional changes the Ministry of the Interior committed a massacre at the University of Cairo. It was after this massacre that violence overtook the country. Security does not come from what they believe, or what they want others to believe, are elections. Stability will only come after justice prevails and there is an end to polarisation.

In order to keep the people on the brink of civil war, the media and the military administration have promoted a state of polarisation shamelessly. In this way the authorities responsible for the coup can gain control of any remaining national groups and hijack the elections, which will result in polarisations that will force the people to place their trust in the military as opposed to believing in reaching a political consensus and unity within the community.

The myth of the Muslim Brotherhood bogey: Before Abdul Fatah Al-Sisi, Hosni Mubarak promoted the belief that the Muslim Brotherhood is the “bogeyman” of Egyptian politics. This was the only way that he could continue to justify his position as a “fascist general” in the political arena. The idea that the movement is the bad guy is reminiscent of a tactic used at home and abroad, one that seeks to foster a sense of fear of potential terrorism. Demonising the Muslim Brotherhood not only causes divisions and hatred within society, but it is also used as a tactic to pacify the panic surrounding the elections. In reality, the elections are nothing more than an extension of the coup, which uses certain democratic mechanisms to cover up acts of repression and justify the blood that has been spilt up to this point.

The myth of democracy and the civil state: This myth is a comedic farce that will make you cry as the two candidates, the military man and the victor, are two participants that will give us a civil and democratic state They are working together in a partnership that seeks to rig and steal the elections from the people. This partnership is what enabled the coup’s authorities to get away with what they have stolen. These staged elections will do nothing more than legitimise the coup.

What we are faced with today is not a simple game of “military men and thieves” but a military personality whose newly acquired power has gone to his head and who now thinks that he deserves the presidential seat. He has changed from being a military personality to a thief who wants to rob the people of their will and to take his authority by force. All of this comes after he kidnapped the elected president and prevented him from speaking. We dare the general (Al-Sisi) to allow the president he is holding prisoner to speak to his people.

The army told us that the ballot boxes are not democratic and since then those who bang the drums and wave in the military’s parade have been marching in the streets. The army leadership claims that they are following the popular will and have since started their game of counting heads and crowd size. While we do not claim that there weren’t people who expressed their anger and disappointment in President Morsi, we must remember that there were certain mechanisms and ways to protest against him that would have proven effective in meeting popular demands within the democratic process. However, the coup and its authorities, including those who were loyal to the former Mubarak regime, led a counter-revolution against the January 25th Revolution and its goals.

In this respect, the military took advantage of the people’s protests to stage a full-on military coup against the democratic revolution. The military once again called upon civilian reinforcements to help topple the president and paired this deception with staged elections in an attempt to gain a sense of legitimacy for the military coup. Moreover, there is a particular emphasis being placed on protecting institutions that aim to protect the old regime’s interests in addition to protecting alliances in corrupted networks. Everyone should know by now that the way to the ballot box should not be through boxes of ammunition or military coups.

The myth of international legitimacy: The coup authorities are suffering from a sense of isolation because of the lack of international legitimacy. Thus, they believe that the elections will grant them such recognition and the legitimacy that they crave. They employ words such as terrorism in order to tap into western fears and interests and solicit support to legitimise a full-blown military coup. They believe that gaining a sense of international legitimacy, even if it is a veneer of falsehood, will help them to gain the people’s consent.

The myth of a plot and fragmentation: One of the most ridiculous myths being promoted by the military authorities is embodied in their most recent slogan, “Saving the state can only be achieved by participating in the elections and voting for Sisi!” Yet, what is even more ridiculous is the fact that they attempt to lie to the people by telling them that the worst is yet to come if they do not vote because it will cause fragmentation and divisions within the already fragmented and polarised state.

One of the military’s pet journalists, Mustafa Bakri, has been calling on the people to go out in massive numbers and vote. “If people do not go out to vote in large numbers,” he warns, “then Sisi will be defeated from the inside. This will open the door for many outside plots that aim to divide Egypt.” Through this remark, the military is promoting the conspiracy theory in a way that suits its own interests. However, when President Mohamed Morsi told the people that what was happening in his government was a result of a conspiracy he was ridiculed and condemned. If a soldier is the one crying out against conspiracy it somehow convinces the people to go down to the ballot box and elect the saviour who has promised to save them. The use of democratic mechanisms to package the coup in a more marketable way is the new tactic being used by the military. In today’s Egypt, the most patriotic person, we are told, is he who votes for Al-Sisi.

The myth of issuing fatwas: The art of packaging lies and certain positions in addition to issuing fatwas (religious legal opinions) have been two tactics that have been used heavily to persuade the Egyptian people to participate in the democratic process as it is embodied by the upcoming elections. Official institutions began to participate in this scenario in an attempt to broaden the number of people participating in the elections. Despite the officials’ claim that they remain neutral in the political arena, they are ignorant of the fact that they are cultivating the current political climate and that encouraging the people not to vote in these staged elections is the only way out of this absurd drama. The fact that some of these religious institutions are participating in marketing the elections demonstrates further how the military authorities have hijacked virtually every organisation and institution to serve their own nefarious ends.

From the myth of choosing the necessary candidate to the myth that the other candidates do not have the proper qualifications that are needed to run in these elections, each of these acts confirm the invalidity of the whole process. It will do nothing more than ensure the succession and continuation of old institutions. Do not participate in the elections. Boycott them for they are nothing but a theatrical performance. They are nothing but a farce.

Translated from Al Araby Al Jadid, 16 May, 2014

The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Monitor.