This House believes democracy has had a disappointing start in Egypt

Democracy has had a poor start in Egypt, according to an audience at the New Arab Debates – a free speech forum, founded in the wake of last year’s political turmoil.

The session marked the launch of the debates’ second season, aimed at providing a platform for rigorous political discussion on controversial issues.

Just over 56 percent of the audience said democracy had experienced a disappointing start in the country, despite the end of military dictatorship and the first democratic election of an Egyptian president.

Mohammed Salmawy, president of the Egyptian Writers’ Union said Egypt’s new leaders were using the same laws as their predecessors to “ensure control.” They had also sacked a number of newspaper editors and reneged on an election promise by appointing pro-Islamist governors, instead of allowing them to be elected.

“They have no roadmap for democracy and the status of women and Copts is much worse than before.”

But he ruled out a return to the repressive dicatatorship of the past. “People would never allow the country to go back to that,” he insisted.

By contrast, Khaled Fahmy, Professor of History at the American University in Cairo said he believed there was cause for optimism about Egypt’s new democracy, although he acknowledged serious problems, including the treatment of detainees by the police.

“Reforming the security apparatus remains one of the hardest nuts to crack,” he said, referring to over 270 cases of alleged police brutality and torture under the new Muslim Brotherhood administration.

“There is much to be desired, but we have had a good start,” he said.

Egyptians have had five elections in less than two years, ended the rule of Mubarak and stopped his son from inheriting the presidency without massive bloodshed.

Despite the disappointment expressed by the majority of the audience, more than 13 percent shifted their opinion during the course of the debate, finding at least some reason for optimism about democracy in Egypt.