ZIONICA.com

Court ruling could reignite Egyptian revolution

Confusion reigns in Egypt after stunning court rulings threw the country's awkward transition toward democratic rule into turmoil.

The decision sparked cries that Egypt's military leaders have engineered a "soft coup" to thwart their longtime foes — Islamists who just four months ago captured a majority of seats in the Egyptian parliament in the first election in Egypt in generations. The court's decision dissolves parliament, and the military was quick to say it now controls legislative affairs in Egypt, actions that raised the prospect of renewed mass street protests.

The dizzying developments sent shock waves across Egypt just 16 months after a popular uprising toppled former President Hosni Mubarak and two days before Egyptians go to the polls to elect a new president. They also raised fresh questions among many about whether the military — long the most powerful force in Egyptian life — would ever yield power.

"Egypt is entering into a very dangerous stage, and I think a lot of people were caught by surprise," said Shadi Hamid, director of research at the Brookings Doha Center. "We knew it was getting bad, but we didn't think it was getting this bad."