GRAPHICS

Egypt's Opposition Groups

Feb 2, 2011 | 23:26 GMT

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(Stratfor)

The "Egyptian opposition" is a phrase that has been used quite liberally in the media since the ongoing protests in Egypt first began Jan. 25, but very few people really understand what it means. It comprises a handful of small, legally-recognized political parties, extremely organized protest movements that eschew the ordination of formal membership, a banned Islamist group, and an umbrella organization of political parties led by an Egyptian — Mohamed ElBaradei — best known for his days as an international diplomat living in Vienna. The only thing that every member of the opposition can agree on is that Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak must go. After that, they all have their own interests, but many are negotiating on how to best work together in order to achieve their immediate goal of forcing Mubarak out. The biggest questions are which portions of the opposition will coalesce into a coalition that can negotiate with the Egyptian military, which remains the ultimate guarantor of power in the Arab world's most populous nation.