This is Mohamed Morsi's first test of purpose
President Mohamed Morsi's decision to reconvene the lower chamber of Egypt's parliament, in defiance of a decision by the generals to dissolve it, brings to the fore once again an issue that has been much contested since the start of the revolution: legitimacy and the rule of law, as opposed to revolutionary legitimacy.
On the grounds of revolutionary legitimacy, the revolutionaries of 25 January insisted that the then president Hosni Mubarak step down, despite warnings from his aides that his ouster would violate the constitution and create a legal vacuum. In a country where "the revolution continues" till its goals are met – as Morsi stated in his first speech after being elected president – revolutionary legitimacy replaces long established laws and legal institutions.… Seguir leyendo »