Concerns About Violence as Egypt's Elections Loom

A number of voices are expressing growing concern about the insecurity and outbursts of sporadic violence as elections near. Clashes over a fertilizer plant in Damietta over the weekend, the killing of a foreigner in an Upper Egyptian family feud, and ongoing strikes and other protests raise concern that the elections, which even under the old regime often saw some violence, could be a problem, with possible implications for the elections and hopes for more Egyptian democracy.

The Arabist expresses his  concern here; Ibrahim Eissa, Editor if Al-Tahrir, expresss related concerns here; and there's an article on election tensions here.

Obviously, with the Army increasingly showing signs it is in no hurry to hand over power, any outburst of violence that could lead to a cancellation of elections or a delay in the transition is of concern. I'll have more to say on this after our Annual Conference is over.