On Mubarak's Trial, Presidential Elections, and the Return to Tahrir: An Interview with Sharif Abdel Kouddous

In the following interview Egyptian journalist Sharif Abdel Kouddous discusses developments in Egypt in the wake of last Saturday's verdict in the Mubarak trial. The interview begins with an overview of the verdict, the legal process that led up to it, and the erruption of protests in its aftermath. It then tackles the broader context within which the trial and verdict unfolded: the struggle to define the scope of revolution in Egypt. Sharif discusses the (re)emergence of Ahmad Shafiq (Mubarak's last prime minister and retiured air force general) in the context of the presidential elections and what this represents about the these elections as opposed to the parliamentary elections. Also addressed is the position of the Muslim Brotherhood vis-a-vis the Mubarak verdict, the presidential elections, and its changing strategic position since the parliamentary elections. In discussing this broader context, Sharif highlights the importance of the coming two weeks, which will feature a constitutional court ruling on the Political Isolation Law as well as another one on the Parliamentary Elections Law. Both rulings have the potential to either consolidate the existing political dynamics or radically alter them. Towards the end of the interview, Sharif discusses the proposed presidential council, noting its origins, viability, and reactions to it, as well as the status of the constitutional assembly.