Democracy is defined as the rule of the people through elected representatives. For the system to work for the interest of the electorate, there should be a balance between the government, the market and civil society. The government should regulate the market ensuring fair distribution of wealth, sustainable business practice and labor rights. Civil society monitors the government to prevent government abuse of power, maintain civil & individual rights and educate people. The market provides goods and service, provide employment for most of the population and pressure the government for economic reforms.
The government itself is divided into executive, judiciary and parliament, thus creating a system of checks and balances. Currently in Egypt, the military, a part of the executive branch, is taking over the role of parliament passing laws like the election laws. The juntas are also replacing the judiciary by subjecting civilians to military courts. Hence the military has unchecked powers in a critical transitional period.
The juntas are not using this power wisely; they are gradually rolling back the civil rights of citizens. Many activists are being prosecuted like Assma Mahfouz for exercising her free speech right of criticizing the military. They have used violence to disperse peaceful protesters in Tahrir square. They also subjected female activists to virginity checks in order to intimidate and humiliate them. Furthermore, they are also gradually taking the Islamist side, hence they are not neutral party in the political game.
Finally, to avoid a new dictatorship, citizens need to be vigilant by maintaining pressure on the military to stop trying civilians in military court, create a civilians transparent process to write the constitutions and put a firms deadline for handing power to a civilian government
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