The Death of a Dictator

Mubarak with Egyptian President Anwar Sadat in 1981 shortly before his assassination

The man who ruled the largest Arab state for 30 years lies in a hospital bed, dying. His wife by his side, Hosni Mubarak is in his final days. He clang to power for decades, now he clings on to his life. Outside, Egyptians flock to Tahrir Square in protest of the ruling military council, a project of Mubarak in his hey days. Elsewhere, the just concluded elections have failed to bring order in this crisis ridden country. These events leave Egypt at a precarious position. Its a country at crossroads. A culmination of years of political repression by the former strongman, Hosni Mubarak.



Hosni Mubarak with the late former Iraqi President Sadam hussein and PLO Chairman, Yasser Arafat in 1988


Mubarak came to power unprecedentedly in 1981 following the assassination of the then president Anwar Sadat. Over the years, he amassed massive powers and introduced the emergency laws which allowed him to crack down on any "threats to the state", including his own people. The traditionally uneasy relationship with Egypt's neighbor Israel meant that the country was constantly in a state of war, hence the necessity for emergency laws. But these laws alongside massive corruption left the people of Egypt dissatisfied and increasingly impoverished. In the end, Egyptians joined other Arab states in the Arab Spring to topple their authoritarian rulers and embrace democracy. While uprising in other countries has been swift and decisive, Egypt's revolution has been marky and long. And with the eminent death of Mubarak, a power vacuum threatens the stability of this crucial Arab state. A fight between the Muslim Brotherhood and the former Prime Minister under Mubarak's rule threatens to erode the gains of the revolution which has been severely undercut by the Military Council's assumption of power including Legislative discretion.

But it is Mubarak's demise that would turn the pages of an error that spans generations, ushering in a new dawn. A pale shadow of his former glory, Mubarak is now helpless, but still a symbolic figure, perhaps a living reminder of the oppression Egyptians suffered under his rule. His death will most likely be celebrated across Egypt. And with the end of his error, another opens with uncertainty, anger and a possible all out violence for this war weary country, so much in need of relief.