The first vote

If there ever was any doubt about Egypts centrality to the Arab Spring and the changes being wrought in the Arab world,the early returns from its first round of parliamentary elections are undoubtedly being keenly watched across the globe. Those results show a nearly 40 per cent lead in seats to the lower House being taken by the Freedom and Justice Party FJP the political wing of the Muslim Brotherhood,the ban on which was recently lifted after the exit of erstwhile president Hosni Mubarak. At second place are the ultra-orthodox Salafists with 20 per cent seats,followed closely by the liberal-secular coalition of parties called the Egyptian Bloc.

While this is rightly construed as a victory for the Islamist parties the liberal parties are likely to do even worse in the remaining two rounds covering Salafist and old-regime loyalist heartlands the FJP and the Salafists are not on the same page. In fact,the Brotherhood,which pioneered the Islamic movement eight decades ago,is in reality a middle-class mission run today by professionals. Their emphasis,so far,on pragmatism and just a broad framework of Islamism,which allows women choice of roles and insists on free expression,contrasts sharply with the Salafists call for a strict adherence to Sharia. There is,therefore,less likelihood of the two Islamist parties working together than issue-based cooperation between the FJP and the liberal parties.

However,Egypts real cause for concern is how things move from here. Who controls the parliament will determine who gets to dominate the 100-member committee that will write a new constitution. Most importantly,there is the military to deal with,which had shown every sign of thwarting and delaying Egypts transition to democracy. This has so far been the countrys first fully free and fair election. Egypt has to next baby-step to the new constitution and the presidential election which has been advanced to mid-2012.