Egypt on edge as Mubarak’s 80th birthday nears

The subject of President Hosni Mubarak’s successor began to emerge as a topic of discussion in Egypt after an assassination attempt in 1995. The matter came to the fore again after he fainted while giving a speech in 2004. Now, as his 80th birthday approaches, Egyptians our examining what a post-Mubarak Egypt will look like, writes Syrian political analyst Sami Moubayed in a column for Asia Times.

Supporters of Mubarak may point to a growing economy and increasing foreign investment, but the majority of Egyptians are far from satisfied with Egypt’s current situation. Growing inflation and unemployment, coupled with increasing food prices, have antagonized Egypt’s large lower class, while political oppression and attacks on the press continue to anger the traditionally vocal middle class.

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