The dust raised by the revolutionaries last week over the success of Shafiq, as one of the two contenders for the run-off election coming up on 16th and l7th June, 2012 had hardly died down, when Egyptians, once again, took to the streets to protest against the life sentence handed down to Hosni Mubarak by an Egypt court.
It would be recalled that the trial of the ousted Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, by an Egyptian court and his eventual sentence to life imprisonment, spanned a period of ten months.
Hosni Mubarak it could be recall also, took over government, upon the murder of President Anwar Sadat in the early 1980s and has been in the Saddle of office ever since. Hosni Mubarak who has been very ill, in most part of his trial was brought to court on a stretcher.
The court at last found him guilty of complicity in the death of 900 Egyptians murdered during last year’s deadly crack down in Egypt, and handed down to him a life sentence.
However, his two sons Ghamal and Allah were cleared of corruption charges. The charges on some security personnel were also dropped, informed sources confirmed.
Meanwhile, a large spectrum of Egyptian society bared their minds over the verdict.
Protesters kicked against the verdict, calling for summary execution of Hosni Mubarak and his cohorts, saying that, that will go a long way to appease the parents and relations of all those murdered by Hosni Mubarak’s war machine.
Morsi, one of the contenders for the June 16th and 17th June 2012, run off election in Egypt and a member of the Muslim Brotherhood, condemned the verdict and called for the retrial of Hosni Mubarak and his supporters, saying that they suspected what they called “hidden players in the verdict”.
While on the other hand, Shafiq, also a leading contender for the 16th and 17th June 2012, run off election and Egypt’s last Prime Minister under the ousted regime, asked Egyptians to accept the life sentence on the 86- year old, Hosni Mubarak in good faith.
The court in Egypt also handed down life imprisonment to Habib, the 76-year old, Interior Minister of the last regime.
Again, the news that Suleiman, the erstwhile Hosni Mubarak intelligent Chief for 20 years is off the hook, came to Egyptians as a rude shock.
Even, the man called El-Baraddai, the erstwhile Atomic Energy Chief lend his voice to those who have condemned the Egyptian court verdict on Hosni Mubarak, saying that the decision was in bad faith.
Most observers, argued that the scenario was going to be a challenge between the Muslim Brotherhood, backers of Morsi and the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces of Egypt to stem the tide of polarization that the court verdict has imposed Egyptians, in addition, to the stand of the election committee to go ahead with the run-off election slated for 16th and 17th June2012.
The above scenario sparked up outrage and massive protest by a large spectrum of Egyptian society. Earlier, angry protesters had clashed with security officials in and out side the court premises and went further to attack Shafiq’s Campaign Office.
The revolutionaries were visibly angry over the statement credited to Shafiq that Egyptians should accept the life imprisonment handed down to Hosni Mubarak.
The world is watching with bathed breath in this unfolding drama, as to who will have the upper hand between Egypt’s military council, backers of Shafiq, also seen as USA protégé and supporters of Morsi, drawn mainly from the Muslim Brotherhood. ###
By Azuka Dibie
