The March 2011 referendum on the constitutional amendments, the parliamentary and presidential elections, the rising conservative-liberal confrontation, the politicisation of the Coptic vote, sectarian incidents, controversy over role of the military in national politics and the surprising recent SCAF-reshuffle, the two constituent assemblies (one dissolved, the other threatened with the same fate) as well as discord on the constitution and the revolution as a whole have left Egypt and its political forces more divided than at any time in Egypt's history.

The controversial and underwhelming choice of Hisham Qandil as prime minister as well as the composition of the new Cabinet appear to have only exacerbated the divide. 

The new president, his deputy and the prime minister will be expected to serve as national mediators and fulcra tasked with a difficult national political balancing act, bringing everyone sufficiently together across the remainder of this volatile transitional phase, hopefully building an adequately strong national consensus and cohesion in moving forward through a time of extraordinary national instability.

See also:

The Economy

Subsidies & the Budget

Food Security

Fuel & Electricity Shortages

Overpopulation

Slums & Random Housing

Religious Freedoms, Minorities

Judiciary & Education

The Interior Ministry

Freedom of Speech, Media & the Arts

Tourism

Women's Rights, Street Children

The Public Sector & Privatisation

Corruption

Water

Saving Cairo!

Healthcare & Hepatitis