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Al-Ahram Weekly 30 Sep. - 6 Oct. 1999 Issue No. 449 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 30 Sep. - 6 Oct. 1999 Issue No. 449
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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LIGHTING UP THE NIGHT: Fireworks etched sharply against the sky over the Citadel. After the resounding vote of confidence expressed in the referendum approving President Mubarak's new term of office, similar celebrations were organised across the country on Monday night
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Catchword change
Before his re-election as president by an overwhelming majority this week, Mubarak spoke of change. So has the opposition, and so have numerous writers and public figures. Political expert Osama El-Ghazali Harb gleans hints of what the coming six years may hold
President Mubarak -- as was to be expected -- won the overwhelming support of the Egyptian people for a fourth term in office. By the end of this term, in 2005, Mubarak will have had the longest incumbency of any ruler in 20th-century Egypt. Much has been said during the months leading up to this week's referendum about the president's many accomplishments for Egypt during his 18 years in office. Now we turn our sights to the agenda for the president's next six years in office.
Although Mubarak did not put forward a full platform for his next term of office upon his nomination, as some opposition members asked him to do, he did outline his thoughts for the future on numerous official occasions. In a recent interview with October magazine (19 September), he also announced that he would be presenting a comprehensive project in his address before the parliament and Shura Council.
Political forces from across the spectrum have been voicing their views on the priorities that should be adopted for the next phase. The opposition held several meetings, during which they put forth demands for political and constitutional reform. The Egyptian press -- from the government and party to the independent newspapers -- has featured dozens of articles and commentaries by leading Egyptian writers and intellectuals regarding "what must be accomplished" during the president's new term of office, which brings us well into the first decade of the 21st century.
It is not difficult to perceive the difference between Mubarak's perception for the future and that of the political opposition, along with many writers and intellectuals. While the latter urge change, by which they mean tangible, perhaps radical, alterations to the political system, the president portrays change as an ongoing process that is already in the works. Within this general framework, his agenda proposes, in essence, the perpetuation of the major processes of economic and social development that are currently under way. Thus, during his next term in office, he hopes to see the completion of the national megaprojects that received great impetus during his third term. These massive development projects, which are being implemented in various parts of Egypt -- Toshka and Aswan to the south, Port Said, the Sinai and the Gulf of Suez in the north and northeast of the country -- are designed to generate important economic yields, but also to effect major demographic and social changes, fulfilling the president's goal of alleviating the pressure on the Nile Valley by expanding into the Western and Eastern Deserts and the Sinai peninsula.
Mubarak has also spoken frequently of his wish to complete the process of educational development. Egypt has been engaged in perhaps the most large-scale drive in its history to build thousands of schools throughout the country. It is also upgrading its educational curriculum and teaching standards, although there is much work still to be done in these directions. Among the important ideas Mubarak has proposed is the provision of special attention and incentives to outstanding students. In the same vein, he has accorded high priority to the development of information technology and the use of computers in all fields. These efforts are intended to feed into what has always been Mubarak's highest priority: the need to develop Egypt's export industries, which are still modest relative to the efforts being exerted to develop our human resources and productive capacities.
The president's agenda, as it has tacitly coalesced in his speeches over the past month, differs considerably from the opposition's agenda. This agenda, which, perhaps, can be subsumed under the heading "more democracy", includes such demands as constitutional reform, stimulating political party activity, bringing new and more youthful elements into leadership positions, developing the electoral system, deregulating the media, supporting the rule of law, fighting corruption and enhancing the freedom of civil society institutions.
Clearly, the difference between the president's and the opposition's agendas is not the principle of change per se, as much as it is the focus of change. While the opposition readily credits the need for, and the successes of, the sweeping changes in the economy, the infrastructure and the public services, most of its representatives believe the time has come for change in the political system. Indeed, some opposition forces argue that political change has become indispensable to the continued progress of economic development. In their opinion, more democracy, greater transparency and more freedom of the press can only help improve the performance of a free market economy. More democracy, they say, will help prevent monopolies, improve quality, increase productivity and, consequently, boost export trade. In general, they argue, democratic reform will render Egypt more capable of responding to the challenges posed by globalisation. These aims, ultimately, coincide precisely with those of the president.
In all events, the Egyptian opposition -- indeed, the majority of the political elite -- agrees with the priorities the president has set for his next term. They have no reservations with regard to the need for concerted efforts toward the completion of the great national megaprojects, the need to continue the difficult and complex process of upgrading the educational system and the need to develop our technical expertise and expand the use of information technology.
In his address to university students in Alexandria on 25 August, the president said we must work "to effect that change or reform that will enrich the process of popular participation in public life in a manner that will not prejudice the nation's higher interests". He also emphasised the idea that Egypt's revival does not depend on the government's efforts alone. Rather, "it must be borne collectively by the institutions of government and the organisations of civil society, from the political parties to the syndicates, unions and community associations".
Clearly, these statements suggest a policy for reconciling diverse points of view. If that is the case, then the agenda for the president's forthcoming term of office is certain to reflect that reconciliation. As for the precise formula and the pressures that will be brought to bear to reach such a formula, these are questions that will remain unanswered for a short while to come. The writer is editor-in-chief of the quarterly journal Al-Siassa Al-Dawlia (International Politics) issued by Al-Ahram and a member of the Shura Council.
(photo: photo: Mohamed Mossaad)
