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Al-Ahram Weekly On-line 21 - 27 September 2000 Issue No. 500 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly On-line 21 - 27 September 2000 Issue No. 500
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Elections Development Region International Economy Opinion Culture Features Special Travel Living Sports Profile People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters Assembling the people
By Ibrahim Nafie
We are about to witness the first parliamentary elections in Egypt to be conducted in three phases, enabling full and direct judiciary supervision. President Mubarak is also making every effort possible to ensure that they mark yet another step toward democracy in Egypt.
Mubarak has frequently reaffirmed his commitment to democratisation. During the referendum that voted him into a new term of office in September 1999, he said he wanted to usher in a new phase of progress in all endeavours, including the process of consolidating the foundations of democracy. During the inauguration of the last People's Assembly on 13 November 1999, the president stressed the need for parliamentary representation to reflect the popular will, declaring: "Democracy can only be nurtured by the free expression of opinion, broad participation and accurate parliamentary representation."
The president also reiterated his belief that "the opposition is an integral part of government," adding: "The existence of a strong opposition forces the ruling party in any country to be more vigilant, more active and more in touch with the people." At the same time, he felt that, for the opposition to be truly effective, it had to institute democratic reforms of its own. "We do not object to the opposition's right to seek a more balanced parliament and there is nothing to prevent us from discussing the most appropriate ways of achieving that. As the first step down this road, however, the opposition must reform itself to become more democratic internally and more aware of people's interests."
Inspired by the president's commitment to electoral reform, the last People's Assembly discussed possible amendments to the law on the exercise of political rights and the People's Assembly law. The result was Law 13 of April 2000, which sought to facilitate access to polling stations by the judges assigned to supervise them. The law was an attempt to stretch the relatively limited number of judges -- fewer than 10,000 -- over approximately 42,000 polling stations, at a time when the law still stipulated that elections be held on a single day.
Even as the People's Assembly was deliberating this issue, however, the Supreme Constitutional Court was reviewing a suit filed following the 1990 elections, contesting the constitutionality of Article 24 of Law 73/1956 on the exercise of political rights, because it allowed that civil servants could oversee auxiliary polling stations. On 8 July, the SCC ruled that the article conflicted with Article 88 of the Constitution, which provides for full and direct judicial supervision of parliamentary elections -- a provision which the court interpreted to include the entire balloting process, inclusive of the auxiliary polling stations.
President Mubarak responded immediately to the landmark ruling, issuing a decree to bring the SCC's ruling into effect. Decree 167/2000, ratified following two extraordinary sessions of the People's Assembly and the Shura Council, entailed the reorganisation of the balloting process to take place over three days, thus permitting full and direct judicial supervision. Toward this end, too, auxiliary polling stations were reduced to 15,251, while the number of electoral supervisory committees was augmented to 10,718, thus allowing for a member of the judiciary to be present at each polling station.
When a new legal framework and the position of our political leadership coincide so favourably, we have every reason to anticipate an electoral experience that will bring Egypt into a new phase of democratic development. Its success can only be ensured, however, if all the participants in the electoral process act in the most responsible manner possible. Thus, administrative and security agencies will be expected to heed the president's explicit instructions to maintain the utmost impartiality in the performance of their duties during the elections. Political parties and their candidates will be expected to abide by the spirit of peaceful competition, within the confines of the law. Public haranguing, too, can be a form of violence when it is conducive to rabble rousing or hooliganism. Thus, political parties must ready themselves to use only legitimate means of gaining support, for if they fail to do so they will no longer be able to cry "rigging" and "fraud" to justify their defeat.
The elections are also an invaluable opportunity to reach out to young Egyptians. By teaching the younger generations democratic rights and duties and encouraging their active participation in the democratic process, we will build healthier inter-generational relations within the government and society as a whole. The National Democratic Party has already taken a step in this direction by nominating a number of younger candidates for the forthcoming elections, and we hope the opposition parties follow suit. If these candidates win the voters' support, we will see a parliament more reflective of the segment of our society that embodies our hopes for the future.
Egyptian women have led the region in women's political participation since the beginning of the 20th century, and the forthcoming elections offer an opportunity to build on this record. While women have made great strides in many professional fields, their presence in the political arena is still far short of what society should aspire to. It is thus important to extend the scope of women's participation in the elections, not only because that is one of their fundamental rights, but also because it promises to enrich the public forum.
Finally, the forthcoming elections, conducted with the envisioned integrity and broad-based popular participation, will contribute to strengthening civil society. Over the past two decades, civil society has become increasingly effective in complementing the work of the government in social care and economic and cultural development. While some community associations and NGOs suffer structural deficiencies and have on occasion broken the law, this has been the exception rather than the rule. The new parliament brought in by the forthcoming elections and the potential for a new NGO law will render civil society even more robust.
