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Allowing Political Pluralism in Egypt

Manuela Paraipan - 2/28/2005

Post 9/11 President Bush called for a perestroika in the Arab world, and some in the United States believed that this process might start with Egypt. However, many others in Egypt and elsewhere in the region, seriously doubted it. Egypt cannot be a pioneer of democracy in the region without accepting a more participatory politics. Corruption, nepotism, an almost non-existent social and political development and frequent scandals have been the emblem of the Egyptian political system for decades. To change the course of such a decadent system is not an easy task and it is unlikely to happen over night. The political debate has become more heated in the last months. There were rumours that Egypt will take the example of Syria, and become the second hereditary Arab Republic with Gamal Mubarak as the next President of Egypt.

The presidential mandate in Egypt lasts six years, but there is no limit whatsoever on how many times the person can stand. The electoral law allows only one person at a time, to be nominated and to seek the votes in Presidential elections. Ever since, Mubarak took the place of Anwar Sadat he maintained a state of emergency in the country mainly to justify the conflict with the Muslim Brotherhood organization and to crush the opposition's attempt to gain more stability and recognition. This status has had a negative influence on the legal aspect of all political and socio-economical decisions and it has centralized the power in the hands of the President.

The rumours that Gamal Mubarak, the second son of Hosni Mubarak will be the next Egyptian President attracted national and international objection and protests. In Cairo, people gathered in a public demonstration to protest against the possibility of transforming Egypt in a hereditary Republic and against the possibility of having Hosni Mubarak running for the fifth mandate in the office.

Later on, the Egypt's ruling National Democratic Party (NDP) announced that it will seek in May a fifth mandate for their candidate, President Hosni Mubarak who has been in power for the last 23 years.

The President of Egypt is chose in a two-stage process. The Egyptian Parliament dominated by the ruling party, will elect a candidate to run for Presidency. The nominated candidate will be subsequently put for people's approval in a referendum, in September. While the ruling party appointed its candidate, in the person of Hosni Mubarak, the opposition called for the amendment of the electoral law, thus allowing the people to choose the president from a list of candidates through universal suffrage.

If, the opposition voice will be taken into consideration, there are already few people who announced their intention to run in the upcoming October elections. Sociologist, Saaadeddin Ibrahim, human rights activist Nawal Al Saadawi and former MP, Mohammed Farid Hassanein said they intend to collect the one million signatures needed to pressure the Parliament to amend the Constitution.

However, President Mubarak surprised the West and his people, calling for the amendment of the Constitution, himself. He declared his intention "to give the opportunity to political parties to enter the presidential elections and provide guarantees that allow more than one candidate to be put forward to the presidency". While his move is in the right direction, it is not sufficient.

After the Iraqi elections, there is a growing public interest in democracy, human rights and moderation all over the Arab world. Arab intellectuals are criticising the authoritarian polices of existing regimes. Average Arab people are interested to take part at the decisional political process. State's sterile slogan's and propaganda are not enough when individuals are fighting with corruption, unemployment and when they have no real saying in how they are governed.