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Egypt’s new government repeats its predecessor's mistakes

The transitional government cannot count on the endless patience of Egypt’s public while insisting on repeating the same mistakes which ended its predecessors' reign.
Riot police fire a water cannon to disperse people protesting against a new law restricting demonstrations, in downtown Cairo November 26, 2013. Egyptian police fired the water cannon to disperse dozens of protesters near the Ministry of Interior on Tuesday after they defied the new law. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh (EGYPT - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST) - RTX15TTL
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In one week, Egypt’s government issued a demonstration law which many see as repressive; approved a decision which allows police on university campuses, angering students; cracked down on demonstrators who were demonstrating against the demonstration law; its 50-member committee initially approved an article in Egypt’s constitution which allows military trial of civilians; arrested Mahmoud el-Khodiery, a well-respected former judge, on allegations of torturing protesters; arrested protesters against military trials; its courts sentenced several young girls to very harsh sentences (the girls included juveniles who were arrested while protesting in Alexandria) with punishments of up to 11 years in jail and indefinite custody in juvenile facilities for those underage defendants — and we are still in the middle of the week.

The Egyptian government seems to be in bad need of public relations training. Not one that focuses only on communications and improving a deservedly bad image, but the kind that genuinely teaches you what to do to actually end up with a good image.

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