On Friday, after weeks of dragging his feet, Hosni Mubarak finally acknowledged the wishes of the Egyptian people and stepped down from his role as president.
His timing was a bit unfortunate for The Spectrum, seeing as he resigned one day after saying he wouldn't resign, which we used as the headline for Friday's paper.
Still, after putting the bad timing aside, we were all in agreement that Mubarak leaving office was the best move.
This was what the people wanted, and while he waited far too long to make this move, we were all happy to see the Egyptian people achieve the freedom they had long desired.
Unfortunately, in the past few days, there has been some controversy over his temporary replacement, Mohammed Hussein Tantawi, who took control of Egypt's military and government shortly after Mubarak's resignation.
Tantawi is not viewed favorably in Egypt. While the West is largely unaware of him, in Egypt, he is viewed as nothing more than one of Mubarak's henchman.
Obviously, this is the opposite of what is desired in Egypt. The revolution in Egypt occurred because the citizens vehemently disagreed with Mubarak's policies, and restrictions of free speech. Having an interim leader who believes many of the same things has the potential to be a serious setback.
The fact that he has been viewed as "increasingly intolerant of intellectual freedom" doesn't help the matter.
This is why The Spectrum believes that while Tantawi is in control of Egypt's government, he must operate in a limited role. Even though he is temporarily in charge, he does not represent the views of the majority of Egyptian people.
When the elections are held in September, Egyptians will elect the real leader they wish to represent them for the future. Tantawi is simply a placeholder. If he attempts to impose Mubarak-esque views on Egypt, it could lead to more unrest and, potentially, more violence.
As much as the Egyptian people may disagree with Tantawi's views, as long as he doesn't play an overbearing role in his time as interim leader, it is unlikely that his presence will pose a major problem.
As long as Tantawi is respectful of the people's desires, Egypt will be able to make a smooth transition into the September elections, and then elect the person they truly wish to have representing them. That would be the best situation for all parties.
