Over the past few weeks, the Egyptian people have realized that the goals of the revolution have not been realized at all and certain elements are trying to hijack their popular uprising.

Everyone sees that since the fall of Hosni Mubarak, the new Egyptian authorities have only made cosmetic changes to the system to mollify the people.
And the foreign intervention that is underway, particularly the meddling of the United States, Saudi Arabia, and Israel and the pressure they are imposing on Egypt’s Supreme Military Council, is part of the plot to hijack the revolution, and this development has disappointed the people.
But the recent wave of street demonstrations, which has brought a million protesters to Cairo’s Tahrir Square, is a sign of the general dissatisfaction over the fact that Egypt’s popular revolution is being diverted from its course.
The Tahrir Square protesters are delivering a message to the ruling junta, namely that they want the former president, the former interior minister, certain military commanders, and other high-ranking officials involved in the killing of revolutionaries to be put on trial.
The protesters are also demanding that the junta make serious efforts to promptly draft a new constitution and organize elections so power can be transferred to a popular government elected by the direct vote of the people as soon as possible.
And Mubarak’s trial will serve as a barometer for the Egyptian people because it has paved the way for the establishment of justice and stability in the country.
The Egyptian people are eager to sweep away all the elements of the former regime and establish a government based on their democratic ideals.
But Egypt’s current economic problems have exacerbated the situation. This has doubled the pressure on the ruling junta and increased instability.
It appears that Egypt’s economic problems can only be resolved through a massive infusion of foreign financial assistance, especially the funding promised by Saudi Arabia and some other wealthy Arab states. However, the fact that these potential donors have imposed certain conditions on the delivery of the funds, such as their call that Mubarak and his family be handled with kid gloves, has added to the woes of the Supreme Military Council.
Thus, the members of the ruling junta are in a catch-22 situation. On the one hand, they must respond to the people, who are demanding that Mubarak be convicted and seriously punished, but on the other hand, they are in dire need of the financial assistance offered by the wealthy Arab countries.
Meanwhile, Israel and the United States are trying to keep most of the figures associated with the former regime close to the reins of power because they want to safeguard their interests and maintain the security of Israel.
They are trying to downplay the significance of the momentous events of the Egyptian revolution and at the same time are seeking to placate the people with some minor cosmetic changes to the constitution and the electoral laws.
But the Egyptian people were wise enough to avoid falling into the trap, and the fact that a million protesters recently poured into the streets of Cairo for demonstrations shows that the people are determined to make every effort to block the moves of those who are seeking to hijack their revolution.
Mohammad Ali Mohtadi is a journalist and Middle East expert based in Tehran.