Excerpts:Egypt to assist African development.Egypt democracy
stumped.Egyptian election drag.26 April 2005
+++AL AHRAM WEEKLY 21-27 April '05:"EDITORIAL:Summits in Sharm"
QUOTES FROM TEXT:
"more developed than its neighbours to the south, Egypt faces the
challenge of playing a more active role in African
development."
"For many years tension over access to Nile water has prevailed. Now
there is determination by all three that they should
collaborate."
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EXCERPTS:
. . .
Egypt wears both Arab and African hats, and the country is poised to play a
greater role in African affairs. On Tuesday Mubarak opened the summit
meeting of the New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD).
Egypt, as this week's summit meetings demonstrate, has an increasingly
important regional role to play in both the Arab and African spheres.
Relatively more developed than its neighbours to the south, Egypt faces the
challenge of playing a more active role in African development. This is
especially the case as far as its immediate neighbours, Sudan and Ethiopia,
are concerned. Egypt has expressed its desire to do so in conflict
resolution and economic development.
It is in this context that on the margins of the NEPAD summit a number of
fringe meetings on Sudan were held. The idea was also mooted of forming a
Blue Nile Basin regional grouping that includes Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia.
The three countries together constitute a potentially huge market and have a
combined population of 180 million, which at current population growth rates
is estimated to reach 200 million in less than a decade.
For many years tension over access to Nile water has prevailed. Now there is
determination by all three that they should collaborate.
+++AL-AHRAM WEEKLY 21-27 April '05:"Up the tree" By Salama A Salama
QUOTES FROM TEXT:
"IT IS ONLY NOW THAT WE REALIZE WE HAVE WASTED DECADES CHASING AFTER
EMPTY SLOGANS AND FALSE
DREAMS OF GLORY"
"THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS BEING TREATED AS THOUGH POLITICAL REFORM IS NONE
OF ITS CONCERN"
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EXCERPTS:
. . .
We have little choice but to leap into the waters of democracy and
political plurality though it is only now that we realise we have wasted
decades chasing after empty slogans and false dreams of glory. We passed on
the opportunity to teach our people to swim. Yet other peoples, in the same
totalitarian boat, have already abandoned the ship ... .
And what are we doing? There are the final rounds of a series of closed
sessions between the NDP and opposition parties over the proposed amendment
to Article 76 of the constitution, preparatory to its submission to the
People's Assembly and Shura Council for deliberation over its final
drafting, also in closed session. The general public is being treated as
though political reform is none of its concern, barred even from access to
information on the progress of these processes.
It appears that the dialogue between the NDP [Mubarak's party} and other
political parties has produced very modest results. ...
The first mistake the opposition parties made was to agree to a dialogue
held behind closed doors where they could have their positions more easily
softened. Their second mistake was to let the NDP spokesperson apprise the
press ... after every session, for his statements became the final word ...
. The third was to agree to exclude representatives from one of the most
influential political movements ... a curious concession to make, given
that the government is already negotiating with the moderate Islamist
movement behind everyone's back and the US and EU are in contact with its
representatives.
The fourth mistake was to relinquish demands for proportional
representation. In agreeing to hold the forthcoming elections on the basis
of individual-candidate constituencies they have voluntarily slit their own
throats. Finally, after having raised such a hue and cry over the need for
comprehensive constitutional reform the opposition parties agreed to just
amending Article 76
[IMRA:Regarding presidential candidates.]
settling for a promise that other constitutional shortcomings would be
addressed at some unspecified later date.
=======================================
+++AL-AHRAM WEEKLY 21-27 APRIL '05: "NOTHING LESS WILL DO"
HEADING:"Ibrahim Nafie reviews the debate over regulations governing the
nomination of candidates for the presidency "
[IMRA:Overlooks need for additional constitutional
ammendments.]
QUOTE FROM TEXT:
"RULE OUT THE IDEA ... THAT ALL A PROSPECTIVE CANDIDATE WOULD HAVE TO DO
TO FIELD HIMSELF FOR THE
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION IS TO OBTAIN A CERTAIN NUMBER OF SIGNATURES"
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EXCERPTS:
Since ... Mubarak called for the amendment of constitutional Article 76 to
provide for multi-candidate presidential elections there has been a lively
debate .... . That a diverse group ... have engaged in this debate is a
healthy phenomenon. It reflects the widespread awareness of the significance
of this step in ... the process of comprehensive reform.
[IMRA:Represents talk not action.]
... it is indicative of a general agreement that constructive dialogue is
the best means to address the vital issues ... . ... if we sustain this
spirit we will soon be able to reach a national consensus over a
comprehensive vision for reform and development that will see us once again
in step with the epoch,
[IMRA:When was it "in step"?]
though in a way that compromises neither Egypt's specific needs nor the
character of its society.
Debate over the amendment of Article 76, for the most part, has focussed on
conditions of candidacy. While one camp favours loosening restrictions as
much as possible, allowing anyone to step forward as a candidate, the
opposing camp urges stringent controls in order to preserve the prestige and
integrity of the office of president. To me it is the middle road that will
strike the balance we need.
... I would like to rule out the idea ... that all a prospective candidate
would have to do to field himself for the presidential elections is to
obtain a certain number of signatures from eligible voters. This idea is
potentially dangerous since it opens the door to the possible purchase of
signatures. Nothing could be better guaranteed to cheapen the nomination
process to the highest office in the land than turning it into something
akin to a public auction.
... it will render the office of president vulnerable to foreign influence
for there is no doubt that outside agencies will seek to pour vast sums
behind the candidate or party they feel best serves their interests. ...
A safer alternative is for prospective candidates to obtain the support of a
certain percentage of the members of elected bodies, such as the Peoples
Assembly and Shura Council, or municipal councils. Here, too, opinions vary,
with some quoting a figure as high as 20 per cent and others as low as 10.
...
[IMRA:They are also subject to financial corruption.]
... I would suggest 15 per cent of members of parliament and between 350 to
400 municipal council members, bearing in mind that there are 3,250
municipal councilors across the country.
... I feel certain that the parties involved in the current hearings on this
issue will be able to agree to an appropriate solution. More immediately, I
would like to stress how important it is that legal parties be exempted from
this condition in the forthcoming presidential elections and, perhaps, the
2010 elections.... .
...I strongly disagree with the suggestion that parties should have
representatives currently sitting in the Peoples Assembly or Shura Council
in order to field a candidate. This, and similar proposals for restrictions
that would disqualify some existing parties from fielding candidates are
discriminatory. If a party has obtained the right to exist ,,, , it should
be treated the same as other parties.. . .
Dr. Joseph Lerner, Co-Director IMRA
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