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Narrow majority of Egyptians oppose military’s Morsi ouster, poll finds

Results of poll published on the website of the Arab American Institute on Tuesday.

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A narrow majority of Egyptians say the army was wrong to topple elected President Mohammed Morsi in July, and support for the former president and his Muslim Brotherhood held up after his July downfall, according to a poll.

The study, conducted in September, found 51 per cent of respondents said Mr Morsi’s overthrow was a mistake, compared with 46 per cent who said the army was right. It was published on the website of the Arab American Institute on Tuesday.

The poll by Zogby Research Services said 46 per cent of respondents described Egypt as worse off after the army intervention, while 35 per cent said it was better off. Confidence in army chief General Abdel Fattah El Sisi, who led the takeover, was only slightly higher than in Mr Morsi, at 46 per cent and 44 per cent respectively, while interim President Adly Mansour scored 39 per cent.

Mr Morsi’s removal from power was followed by a wave of violence as security forces cracked down on his Islamist supporters protesting against the intervention, killing hundreds and jailing hundreds more. Political unrest, which has persisted since the revolt against Hosni Mubarak in 2011, has undermined efforts to revive Egypt’s economy.

Egyptian stocks slid the most in a month yesterday, with the benchmark index dropping 1.8 per cent, as the government delayed a referendum on a new constitution which is due to be the first step in a transition to democracy, and disputes broke out over a law banning protests without police approval.

Confidence in the Brotherhood’s political arm, the Freedom and Justice Party, rose to 34 per cent from 24 per cent in a previous survey in July, according to Zogby. The September poll found that 50 per cent of respondents said the Muslim Brotherhood should be banned from politics, while 42 per cent said it should be re-integrated.

Zogby said the survey, conducted between September 16 and September 28 for the Sir Bani Yas Forum in Abu Dhabi, was based on interviews with 1,405 people. The AAI’s website didn’t say why there was a two-month delay between polling and publication.

*Bloomberg

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  • Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
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