The Egyptian government has a chequered record in
implementing economic reforms. Praise for the success of its
major anti-corruption drive and its adoption of a
free-floating exchange rate at the end of January has been
tempered by the introduction of capital controls only two
months later.
But pushing through tough reforms is not easy for rulers who
want and need to be popular. It is also difficult to win over a
public that is sceptical about your every motive. Taxi drivers for
instance, believe that the law requiring safety belts to be used is
a conspiracy to enable the police to get rich. "Traffic is so slow
there are no serious accidents, only bumps," says one cabbie. "So
why must we wear these uncomfortable things? So the police can
catch us and make money."
Single-party domination of politics might suppress the electoral
representation of discontent but nothing can stop a Cairene...
