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What happens after the revolution?

Ben Sutherland Ben Sutherland | 08:36 UK time, Sunday, 13 February 2011

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Soldiers in Tahrir Square

It's Day 2 of Egypt's post-Mubarak era. Early this morning, only the hardcore remained in Tahrir Square - marooned on a traffic island, being slowly shuffled away by the army.

However, as I write, our correspondent there, Jon Leyne, is reporting that there is a new surge of protesters coming back in - wanting to ensure the democratic reforms they have campaigned for are instigated.

Should they be concerned? Last week, WHYS heard from Indonesia, where comparisons were made between what happened after the end of the Suharto regime in 1998 and Egypt now.

People there talked about how they had seen the end of many restrictions - but also how some of them missed the stability of the military regime.

Meanwhile, there are many other countries in recent history where, for whatever reason, the hopes of those who brought the revolution about were not realised.

Many have already drawn comparisons with Iran and the fall of the Shah; some fear that, as there, Islamic hardliners will step into the power vacuum.

Or look at Ukraine. The Orange Revolution of 2004 successfully brought about the reversal of what was widely seen to be a fraudulent election, with the defeated (and poisoned) candidate, Viktor Yushchenko, finally put into power.

But because Yushchenko's rival Viktor Yanukovych ended up in charge of a powerful Parliament, most attempts at reform were blocked. Late last year, those amendments that were made were reversed by the country's consititutional court - and the country's 2010 election, which Yanukovych won, was described as

The 2005 Cedar Revolution in Lebanon did lead to its main aim of the pullout of Syrian troops in April - - although Syria does retain some influence in Lebanon.

So should the protesters continue even now Mubarak has gone? Does it make sense for them to remain? Or is it time they let the political process begin in Egypt? What does a country do after the revolution?


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