Weighing In on Shafik and Morsi

Mohamed Morsi Strengths: -    Morsi a strong academic background, with a Master's degree in Engineering from Cairo University and a doctorate in engineering from the University of Southern California. He has held several teaching positions at Cairo, Zagazig, Southern California and Northridge universities. -    He has extensive experience with the political scene as part of the Muslim Brotherhood’s Guidance Bureau and one year of experience as head of the MB’s Freedom and Justice Party (FJP). -    During his single term as a member of Parliament, from 2000 to 2005, he called for investigations for the infamous train crash in 2000. -    Morsi is a civilian and so if elected could counterbalance the military power and former regime’s elements. He promises that no entity would be above the Constitution and that the military’s budget would be overseen by Parliament -    The FJP promises to support the demands of the revolution. With no ties to the previous regime, a Morsi presidency would eliminate the threat of an old regime’s comeback -    Morsi promises to form a team of criminal justice and prosecution experts to bring better evidence against the government officials accused of killing protesters -    On paper, his Nahda (Renaissance) project is a strong comprehensive plan to provide solutions for Egypt's problems, from an overhaul of the economy and security services to dealing with the issue of waste management in the streets -    The FJP has a strong economic plan that advocates a free market economy, foreign investment and other business policies that could reverse the country’s economic decline -    Morsi’s platform states that privatization projects might be revisited -    Morsi has a specific short-term plan to tackle the issue of street children. -    The FJP's stances against the Israeli occupation could lead to a different foreign policy towards the US and Israel. Morsi has said he will keep the 1979 peace treaty but will not meet Israeli officials and has promised to prioritize the Palestinian issue -    If the FJP holds the sweeping majority of Parliament and the presidency, it essentially becomes the party solely responsible for the state of affairs. Without any other party to lay blame on, it would be held accountable for any poor performances. Mohamed Morsi Weaknesses: -    His academic background is not politics-related. -    His loyalty to the Brotherhood and its principles that pledge allegiance to the Supreme Guide mean that the Islamist group's interests might be placed before the country’s interests. Under Brotherhood principles, Morsi's rule would not be truly his, but rather that of the Supreme Guide. -    The two major authorities in the country, the Parliament and the president, would be dominated by the Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party (FJP), just as former President Hosni Mubarak's National Democratic Party dominated politics over the past 30 years. -    With Islamist dominance in Parliament and the presidency, the Constitution might be drafted in a way that doesn’t secure a civil state. -    Copts’ rights might not be guaranteed by a Constitution drafted under a predominantly Islamist government. -    The anti-feminist ideas promoted by some of the Islamist Parliament members —  lowering the marriage age, overturning the Khul’ law and banning children born outside of marriage lock from paternity rights — might be enshrined in the law and Constitution. -    Morsi has been reported to have joined various protests advocating Jihad -    Morsi was only fielded as a back-up candidate who came to the forefront after the FJP's first choice Khayrat El Shater was disqualified from the presidential race. -    Morsi, as head of the FJP, and the party itself are being criticized for not taking concrete actions to effectively investigate and prevent protester deaths  Maspero, Mohamed Mahmoud Street and Port Said clashes. Though the FJP holds a parliamentary majority, no one has been held accountable for the clashes. -    Morsi's proposed foreign policies toward Israel might lead to unrest in the region. -    Morsi’s children are US citizens, and many have criticized him and the FJP for having double standards for advocating a change in Egypt's foreign policy towards the US. -    Morsi's plan to revisit privatization might discourage investors. Ahmed Shafik Strengths: -    Shafik has extensive experience in politics and management. -    He has a strong academic background with a master’s degree in military sciences and a doctorate in national strategy, as well as several fellowships from military colleges in Egypt and Paris. He also has a diploma in Islamic studies. -    He has a proven track record in his position as Minister of Civil Aviation. He reformed the aviation sector and the airports, introducing new terminals and upping the annual capacity to 22 million passengers. Under his watch,  the national carrier EgyptAir upgraded its services, improved its financials and was accepted as member of Star Alliance, the world's largest aviation network. To boost tourism, Shafik encouraged foreign and private carriers to fly into Egyptian airports other than the Cairo International Airport, while still preserving the interest of the national carrier by limiting foreign carriers’ flights within Egypt. -    Shafik is known for his strength in crisis management and facing dire situations, including taking over the Cabinet during a political crisis and conducing his presidential campaign amid controversy and personal hardships. -    Shafik has been awarded numerous military decorations for his service as a fighter pilot and in the aviation sector. -    His leadership experience with politics makes him aware of the inside information of the regime -    Shafik is considered a counterweight to the overwhelming Islamic majority in place, and casts himself as a proponent of civil rights. -    His platform promises to ensure minority rights, including those of women and Copts. -    He promises to ensure a civil state. -    His platform  calls for a democracy that limits the president’s power and ensures a council of advisors and a vice president. -    He has promise to appoint dedicated presidential delegates to tackle the issues of the Nile water, Upper Egypt, the slum areas, corruption, ensuring proper implementation of democracy and maximizing the utilization of Suez Canal. -    He is seen by many as the stability and security candidate. -    Shafik’s economic policies promote investments and a free market economy while regulating privatizations. -    He encourages training and development of the labor force, through government policies that encourage investors to invest in their employees, as a means to reduce unemployment. -    He advocates educational reform from the roots and a liberal education that is separate from religious establishments. -    He advocates strengthening ties with Nile basin countries. -    He advocates revisiting gas export prices. -    Shafik’s platform stresses on promoting local and foreign investments as well as boosting tourism through reforming the infrastructure. Ahmed Shafik Weaknesses: -    Shafik is seen as a Mubarak loyalist who has never openly criticized the Supreme Council of Armed Forces (SCAF). -    Shafik has 40 corruption cases against him still pending with the General Prosecutor. -    Many believe Shafik should not have been allowed to run in the elections to start with, because the Political Isolation law passed during the nomination period bans the former regime’s leaders from participating in political life. A case about the law is pending before the Supreme Constitutional Court. -    The notorious Battle of the Camel in February 2, 2011, happened during Shafik’s brief tenure as Prime Minister in Mubarak’s last days as president. Many people hold Shafik responsible for the deaths of protestors that day. -    He is seen as the SCAF's preferred candidate, leading many to fear that he will bring back the abuses of Mubarak’s regime, including the use of brutal violence by the police and the State Security -    Shafik’s platform states that the armed forces are the “the guardians of the constitutional legitimacy” and that their budget should undergo examination only as long as it protects their secrets and ensures national security. -    While Shafik’s platform calls for banning all exceptional laws, including the emergency law, it adds “including minimizing the use of applying emergency states except in extreme conditions that should be examined by the Parliament after applying.” This suggests that a state of emergency could be applied without Parliamentary approval, with Parliament allowed to review it only after the fact. -    Shafik has said he would restore calm and stability and referred to the Abasseya incident as an example of how force could be used if the situation became a threat to national security or establishments. -    Many fear Shafik will grant clemency to the former president and his aides. -    Shafik opposes progressive income taxes and has talked about big development projects that many fear will promote capitalist strategies that might not ensure the rights of labors. -    Shafik has been known for running the  Ministry of Civil Aviation with an iron fist. -    Shafik has been accused of giving airport renovation projects to businessmen with ties to the former regime and of racking up unnecessary expenses on those projects. -    Shafik comes from a strong military background, effectively extending the military rule of Egypt in place since the 1952 Revolution. -    His foreign policies toward the US and Israel would not limit trade or relationships between the two countries and Egypt. -    His platform, while promising to regulate the process, does not entirely oppose privatization. -    He does not oppose US aid. -    Some doubt Shafik’s ability to offer the country more as a president than he did as a prime minister. -    Should Shafik win the presidential election, the country might face unrest as revolutionaries and Islamist supporters revolt against his rule.