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The Geopoliticalmonitor's Zak Rose provides a brief introduction to the various political and military figures that will be vying to lead post-Morsi Egypt.  . For the full article text, please visit: http://www.geopoliticalmonitor.com/the-next-leaders-of-egypt-4834/ The Next Leaders of Egypt By: Zak Rose July 8th, 2013 Last Wednesday, the Egyptian military followed through on its promise to seize control of the country and suspend the constitution, detaining President Morsi and installing an interim government to replace him. The move has divided the nation into Morsi’s supporters, who believe the army’s actions amount to an anti-democratic coup, and his detractors, who consider the move to be an extension of the people's will. Against a backdrop of deepening civil unrest across the country, military leaders have maintained that they do not intend to rule indefinitely, and that they will be handing power back to a civilian authority. But the question remains: who will lead this new civilian authority? The following is an introduction to the potential key players in Egypt’s next administration. Abdel Fattah al-Sisi Defence Minister and Supreme Commander of the Egyptian Armed Forces, al-Sisi imposed the original ultimatum and carried out the coup against Morsi. Upon seizing control of the country, he did not assume leadership himself, instead calling for elections and promising a return to civilian rule. It is virtually certain that he will not compete as a leadership candidate, instead choosing to stay on as the head of the military, which is arguably the most influential and powerful institution in Egypt. The dramatic fall of President Morsi illustrates that future Egyptian leaders will need the blessing of the Egyptian military to rule, so while al-Sisi will not pursue the presidency, he is set to remain an extremely important figure in Egyptian politics going forward. Adly Mahmud Mansour Mansour has been appointed interim president by al-Sisi. As the former head of the Supreme Constitutional Court in Egypt, a body that frequently clashed with decisions made by the Morsi government, it comes as no surprise that Mansour was a strong supporter of Morsi’s removal. The court's opposition to Morsi has been highly politicized: Morsi supporters accused the court of remaining loyal to Mubarak and the old regime, and the courts believed the Morsi government to be largely illegitimate and more Islamist-leaning than most Egyptians wanted. By appointing a member of the court as interim president, General al-Sisi claims to be seeking to avoid a political struggle ahead of new elections. It is often the case that interim leaders are not permitted to run for the position they temporarily hold, but with the leadership structure in flux and Mansour’s apparent support from the military, he might emerge as a strong long-term candidate. For the full article text, please visit: http://www.geopoliticalmonitor.com/the-next-leaders-of-egypt-4834/  follow on Twitter | friend on Facebook | forward to a friend  Copyright © 2013 Geopoliticalmonitor.com, All rights reserved.  You are receiving this email because you opted in at our website.  Our mailing address is:  Geopoliticalmonitor.com 5700-100 King Street West Toronto, On M5X1C7 Canada