Egypt and Tunisia between freedom and chaos. Bloodbath in Syria

Mideast: Arab springs, hope gives in to problems

08 February, 2013, 11:56

(ANSAmed) - ROME, FEBRUARY 8 - Those hoping that the fall of autocrats in nations at the center of the 'Arab spring' was enough to improve the situation in the region have been disappointed. The governments of the new 'democracies in embryo' - in Egypt, Tunisia and Libya - have inherited serious problems of a different nature. They have to deal with issues ranging from finance to organization, information, the lack of coordination between the education system and labour market and illiteracy. All these factors together make a real and quick transformation unlikely as such problems have been part of Arab societies for decades. Unemployment is a further, key matter and the main cause which has led to the vicious circle seen in Egypt and Tunisia. The lack of foreign investments due to political instability makes matters worse, leading to more protests and discontent and the malfunction of essential services.

The general situation in Egypt further complicates talks over crucial aid from the International Monetary Fund to Cairo.

In spite of all this, freedom remains, according to analysts, one of the most important conquests for countries at the centre of the 2011 revolt. A conquest which enabled citizens to say no and to set themselves free from submission. The situation in Tunisia appears as serious as in Egypt and exploded with the assassination on Wednesday of secularist opposition member Chokri Belaid.

The total lack of experience of government members elected in Egypt and Tunisia benefits no one. Rashid al Ghannushi, the current president of Islamic government party Ennahda spent over 30 years in prison and exile before returning home after the fall of former leader Ben Ali.

Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi was jailed several times for his role in the Muslim Brotherhood and lived partly as a clandestine in the Mubarak era. Both have more experience as opposition rather than government members and need more time to show they are able to fulfill their role.

If Egypt and Tunisia continue to be in a difficult situation, the scenario in Syria is much more dramatic with an increasingly violent civil war between insurgents and forces loyal to the regime of Bashar al-Assad which has claimed over 60,000 lives. In this context, world powers like China and Russia are keeping the UN Security Council in check and the West seems willing to give rebels only limited support - of a moral nature rather than from a material and financial standpoint.

Iran meanwhile continues to massively support its ally Assad and the crisis risks a bloody impasse as neither a military nor a diplomatic solution have so far appeared viable.

The only political hope, if a military operation will not end the matter, has glimmered in the past few days after the president of the opposition coalition Muath Al Khatib said he was ready to negotiate with members of the Syrian regime 'whose hands are not bloodied' provided they set political prisoners free. But this statement has had no consequences so far especially since the military wing of the insurrection together with leading opposition members like Haithem Al Maleh have rejected it. The Kurdish issue is further complicating matters.

The Kurdish Democratic Union Party has gained control of a number of cities and villages in north-east Syria and a few districts in Aleppo but appears to be focusing more on defending its ethnic identity than on Syria's destiny.(ANSAmed).

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