Muslim Brotherhood Hoped For Wider Support, Says Expert
With the world's eyes on Cairo, Kadri Jõgi, an expert on Arab countries, said the Muslim Brotherhood, currently leading the Egyptian government, did not believe they had so little support among the public.
The Muslim Brotherhood won the 2011 parliamentary elections and their candidate, Mohammed Mursi, was elected president a year later, but a few weeks of protests against Mursi have resulted in a coup d'etat by the military on Wednesday, who have detained the Mursi.
Speaking on ERR radio today, Jõgi, who has taught Middle Eastern and Asian studies at Tallinn University, said that the military has always enjoyed great popularity among the people.
“Large sections of the Egyptian ]population] have a direct or indirect connection to the armed forces. The Tamarrud [anti-Mursi protesters] movement has more supporters than the Muslim Brotherhood. The later believed until now that they have complete power in the country and that they managed to gather all major public institutions under their control,” said Jõgi.
The Brotherhood's image has been tarnished by the weak economy, undermining their support, Jõgi said.
Jõgi said that the military decided to step in as they have been monitoring the situation, and know what has been going on in the day-to-day life of the state,. She said the military wanted to straighten out the worsening internal security situation.
The head of the armed forces, General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, has promised early presidential and parliamentary elections, and will assemble a council of experts to review the constitution.
He has also promised to convene a reconciliation committee.