zeruch (zè-rook)

When asked to do a 1-2 page write-up on a regime as a 24 hour investigative exercise, I opted for Egypt (the other options being Russia or Mexico if I recall correctly). The regimes that have held sway in Egypt since last mid-century (although one could argue at least all the way back to modern independence under Saad Pasha Zaghlul) all exhibit some serious imbalances, and it will have to build and empower a better national governmental structure. Egypt has essentially been a one-party rule environment since Nasser, and even the power sharing that is supposed to exist between the President and the Prime Minister is largely non-existent, with current President Hosni Mubarak (now in his fith consecutive term and many believe setting up his son to succeed him) wielding true control.

The state has an immense amount of unrealized potential that has been exploited in petty sectarian and regional squabbling. It has the capacity to improve its lot, but seems quite apathetic at doing so. It has provided experienced and respected administrators to political bodies abroad, such as Boutros Boutros Ghali (UN), Nemat Shaafik (World Bank) and Mohammed El-Badarei (IAEA), but still mires itself internally in suspect political manouvers like the unecessarily complicated requirements for candidacy in the last Presidential election; itself was still an improvement –at least on paper– from the even more closed process before.
So here is the short write up, which maybe someday I will expand on someday.